


Her Best Friend's Brother

by SpicyPepper_SweetSugar



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Caroline and Rebekah are best friends, F/M, Fluff, Klaroline, Klaroline - Freeform, Klaus is like five years older than Caroline, Klaus is the older brother, Of course Caroline has a secret crush on him, Romance, There's really a lot of tension, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2018-10-08 01:17:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10374579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyPepper_SweetSugar/pseuds/SpicyPepper_SweetSugar
Summary: Caroline only has one secret from her best friend Rebekah. During the celebration of her 18th birthday, Caroline is forced to re-evaluate whether or not she'll be able to keep it for much longer.





	1. October 10, 2010

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This story was originally posted four years ago on my ff.net account. Due to the fact that I stopped watching TVD and TO for a few years and just recently started back up again, I decided to go through this one-shot and "fix" parts of it and re-post it both on ff and finally upload it here as well. Klaroline has always been the ship of my ships, so I am glad to say that I am thinking about extending this one-shot into a few more chapters, depending on what you readers might want. For now though, I'll keep it as a one-shot, but if you want more, I'll do my best to supply you with it.
> 
> Originally, this chapter was like 2k words long, but now, it's double that, with a lot more backstory and feels. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this little trope-filled AU likable. If I keep writing it, I won't expect there to be more than three or four more chapters, depending on what you guys think. Okay, I think that's all. Enjoy! :) xx

** _Part I: October 10, 2010_   
**

 

_It had been a lovely day._

The day had started off fairly simple. Caroline had gotten out of bed, taken a shower and then dressed for school. When she had arrived there, she had been congratulated by all of her classmates and during lunch hour, her friends had sung _Happy Birthday_ at the top of their lungs, making the lunch ladies smile and the teachers try to get the rest of the students to settle down once it was over. After school, she went home shortly to change and Caroline had been pleased to find a small birthday cupcake in the kitchen with a note from her mother, apologizing for the fact that she couldn’t be there due to work. It bothered Caroline a bit, but she understood that her mother had her duties as the Sheriff in Mystic Falls. There was only so much time that Liz Forbes could spend with her daughter when the police department was severely understaffed. Not wanting to be bitter about it though, Caroline had eaten her cupcake, sent her mother a ‘ _Thank you, I love you_ ’ text message and then gone out shopping with one of her best friends.

_The day wasn't actually over, though._

After their shopping spree a town over, Caroline’s best friend, Rebekah Mikaelson, had reminded Caroline of the party that she had planned for her birthday. Ever since Caroline had informed Rebekah about the fact that her father wouldn’t be able to visit this year due to work and that her mother would also be busy for her birthday, Rebekah had insisted that Caroline let her plan her a party to celebrate. Caroline had objected at first, figuring that she would rather just spend the evening with her friend than organize a party that would surely get out of hand quickly (Especially if the last couple of parties that she and Rebekah had thrown together were anything to go by). Nevertheless, Rebekah had told Caroline that she wouldn’t actually have to do anything; that it would be Rebekah’s gift to her and that she would only have to attend the party, stuff her face with cake and have a good time. After all, it was Caroline’s eighteenth birthday and _that_ was a big deal, according to Rebekah.

Naturally, after a lot of bickering back and forth between the two of them, Caroline had finally conceded. She had agreed to let Rebekah throw the party for her at the Mikaelson’s family mansion and she had told her mother that she would most likely be spending the night there as well. Liz would be covering a night shift at the station and Caroline really didn’t feel like being alone. Caroline’s mother had agreed, of course, because she felt bad as it was that she would be missing out on her daughter’s birthday. She had promised to make it up for Caroline the moment she had time off, but Caroline wasn’t going to hold it against her mother if she didn’t.

It was no secret that the Mikaelson’s were rich, but Caroline had never really cared much for their wealth. She lived a comfortable life with her mother and she didn’t want money to define her. Her father’s family had been one of the founding families of Mystic Falls, but being raised by her mother, Caroline had been taught not to let their family name get to her head. When the Mikaelson family had moved to their small town, people had been lining up on the street to see who was moving into the newly built, _huge_ mansion that had been the talk of the town for months. The family was bigger than most in Mystic Falls, they had learned, and it consisted of the father, Mikael, the mother, Esther and their five children: Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol and Rebekah. With Rebekah being the only daughter and the youngest child in the family, Caroline had made the assumption that she was a spoiled brat who got everything she pointed at without consequence. Caroline’s prejudice and attitude toward Rebekah had been the main reason that the two of them clashed so much when Rebekah had first started at the Mystic Falls High School. They had fought over the title of Queen Bee for months, arguing openly in the hallways and during cheerleading practice. Caroline was ashamed to think about the times that they had clashed in public and all the horrible assumptions she had made about Rebekah. It hadn’t exactly helped when Rebekah had started going out with Caroline’s ex-boyfriend, Matt. Still, after months of arguing and bickering in class, they had been assigned to do a project together in biology and that had been the turning point of their relationship.

Caroline and Rebekah had been forced to work together and since both of them wanted to keep up their good grade in biology, they had decided to put their differences aside until they were done with the work. They had alternated between working at their respective houses and one day, Caroline had overheard Rebekah’s father arguing with one of Rebekah’s brothers over the phone. It had been an aggressive argument and Caroline had been uncomfortable, but the look on Rebekah’s face had been impassive. Clearly, it hadn’t been the first time that such an argument had occurred.

Somehow, the two of them had started sharing some of their personal stories. Caroline told Rebekah about her parents divorce, how her father was living with his partner on the other side of the country and how her mother was always working. In turn, Rebekah had shared how her family had moved from New York, and before that, Chicago, and before _that_ New Orleans, although originally, they came from London. According to Rebekah, the reason that they moved so much was because of her father’s business and Caroline didn’t want to pry further into that, since it seemed like Rebekah was glad that they had finally put down roots somewhere. Mr. Mikaelson was always away on business trips with his wife and their absence in the household was evident. Quite frankly, Caroline had only crossed passed with them a few times, but they were both intimidating enough that Caroline always let out a sigh of relief when Rebekah told her that they wouldn’t be home.

Long story short, the more time she and Rebekah spent together, the more things they realized they had in common personality-wise. Caroline apologized for all the things she had said in the past and Rebekah had done the same. Since then, the two of them had been pretty much inseparable. Caroline’s other friends, Elena and Bonnie, slowly grew to like Rebekah as well. The four of them usually hung out at school all the time and organized girl’s nights once every two weeks where they got together and talked about boys and whatnot else. It was a bit weird at first, considering that Matt often came up. Elena had been together with him when they were younger and after they had broken up, Caroline and Matt had dated for a short period of time. When Rebekah asked for advice the first time, both Caroline and Elena had been fumbling messes, not knowing what to say. Now, in the beginning of their senior year, there were no grudges or awkwardness there. Bonnie and Elena had always had a closer bond when they been growing up, so Caroline was too grateful to finally have Rebekah now. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost her best friend. Rebekah was like the sister Caroline had never had, a confidant that she couldn’t lose.

That was also the reason that Caroline was keeping one of her deepest, darkest secrets from Rebekah.

***

“Have you gotten dressed yet?” Rebekah asked, entering Caroline’s bedroom without knocking.

Caroline quickly covered herself up, holding the dress she had been thinking about wearing over her semi-nude body. She had been so deep in her thoughts that she hadn’t managed to put any clothes on yet besides her underwear and her bra. “Rebekah!” she exclaimed, turning away from the mirror that she had been examining her body through.

“Oh please,” Rebekah scoffed. “It’s not as if it’s something I haven’t seen before. You try on my clothes on all the time.” Rebekah sat down on Caroline’s bed, taking out her phone as she started texting.

Caroline sighed to herself. “I know,” she said and threw the dress on the bed next to Rebekah, “you just startled me. It was a reflex.”

“There’s a lock on your door,” Rebekah pointed out. “Perhaps next time you should use it in case you don’t want a surprise guest.” Caroline nearly rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched up in a small smile at her friend’s comment. “Besides, who did you think would walk in? Santa Clause?” Rebekah continued. “Your mother is at work and your father lives on the other side of the country. You don’t exactly have four annoying brothers who have no respect whatsoever for a girl’s privacy,” she said, sounding annoyed just by the thought of her brothers.

Caroline laughed though, because she remembered the time that Rebekah had called her to complain about her brother, Kol. Apparently, the youngest of the Mikaelson brothers had decided that it would be fun to string up all of Rebekah’s bras on the big oak tree in front of their house. Rebekah had been beyond frustrated, but Caroline was so used to being an only child that she had found the whole ordeal refreshing to hear about. It had distracted her from the fact that she had been left alone for another weekend, since her mother had been away at a conference for policewomen in the field.

“I know,” Caroline said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice when she was once again reminded of the fact that no one in her family would be there for her birthday. It didn’t escape Rebekah’s notice though, because the other blonde placed her phone on the bed and looked at Caroline.

“Your dad called you, remember? Don’t be sad that he couldn’t make it this year,” Rebekah told her. “Your mom will make up for having to work, I’m sure… Try to focus on the good things, like the fact that the party tonight is going to be killer.” Rebekah’s eyes softened remarkably as she offered Caroline a smile.

“Yes, I’m sure it will be,” Caroline nodded. “Sometimes, I just wonder what it would have been like if things had been different, you know.”

“I understand,” Rebekah said, giving her a small smile. Caroline knew that Rebekah too had often had thoughts about how her life would have been if her parents had been around more instead of always traveling. “Nevertheless,” Rebekah cleared her throat, looking determined not to let the glumness take over, “keep in mind: _killer._ ”

Caroline couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face. She walked over to her closet, picking up her other dress option. Holding against her chest, she turned to look at Rebekah who smirked and nodded at her.

“Killer.”

***

_It had been a long night._

The party was raging on inside the Mikaelson mansion. Caroline made her way through the throngs of people slowly, greeting the few people she recognized with a smile and a wave. She felt as if she didn’t know half the people who had come to the event. Of course, Rebekah’s brother Kol had taken the liberty of inviting some of his college friends, much to Rebekah’s displeasure. Caroline though, couldn't say that she minded much. It had been very entertaining when Rebekah, Bonnie and Elena had rolled out the cake and some of the college students had shouted “Is this a _birthday party_?” before drunkenly singing the birthday song, slurring out Caroline’s name when prompted by Kol.

Fortunately, Rebekah’s parents were on a business trip to France. That meant that Rebekah’s older brothers Finn and Elijah were meant to be chaperoning the event and keeping Kol and Rebekah from tearing each other’s throats out. As Caroline walked through the crowd, she laughed at seeing Elijah being dragged up on a table by two girls to dance. He looked uncomfortable and utterly lost as Kol almost fell over in laughter, taking pictures of the whole thing. Finn had gone out on a date with his girlfriend, Sage, leaving Elijah to handle the event tonight. It was clear that Elijah was out of his element and Caroline felt a bit sorry for him. He was a businessman too, thirty years old and extremely serious. She was sure that Elijah would rather be spending the night in his room, going over numbers than babysitting a bunch of college students and high schoolers.

Caroline spotted Rebekah on the dance floor with Matt. She quickly waved down her friend who shot her a questioning look. “I’m going outside to get some fresh air,” Caroline called out, motioning with her hands because she was sure that Rebekah wouldn’t hear her over the loud music.

Rebekah nodded though, pointing at the stairs, motioning for Caroline to go upstairs. She was probably right, Caroline thought to herself. The upper floor was off limits for the party guests and if Caroline truly wanted a moment of peace, she would get it there. Making her way up the stairs, Caroline’s high heels clicked against the floor. She didn’t bother with excusing herself to the others because she was certain that by now, she was just another girl in the crowd; not the birthday girl.

Caroline walked into the main room upstairs, walking out on the big balcony that she and Rebekah had spent most of the Summer tanning on. Taking a deep breath of the fresh night air, Caroline held onto the railing, leaning forward a bit. Inhaling a few more times, she felt her nerves calming. Looking up at the stars, she was suddenly grateful for the fact that the balcony offered such a good view of the sky. She was so distracted by the twinkling lights in the distance that she hadn’t heard the footsteps approaching from inside.

When the door opened, creaking slightly, Caroline jumped and turned around to face the person who had interrupted her peaceful moment. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily and her lips parted at the sight of none other than Niklaus Mikaelson, who halted in the doorway when he spotted her.

“I apologize,” he spoke after a moment of staring. His voice was low and husky, nearly sending shivers down Caroline’s spine.

Niklaus was the middle child in the Mikaelson family. He was five years older than Caroline and the bane of his father’s existence, from what Caroline had gathered. The reason was that Niklaus - or _Klaus_ , as he preferred to be called - had refused to study business administration like his older brothers, opting instead to study art and history. It went against everything that the Mikaelson’s were supposed to be, and where Rebekah and her other brothers were supportive of Klaus, their parents were not. He rarely stayed over at the mansion because of that, especially since he studied art in New York. Usually, he planned his visits around his parents absence. Caroline had met him a few times, but their interactions had always been cut short when some random girl walked into the room and Klaus took her to his. Rebekah had never liked that his brother spent most of his visits coped up in his own room with some random girl he picked up in a bar, but he made enough time for his siblings that Rebekah couldn’t complain about it either. Still, it didn’t matter that Caroline hadn’t spent much time with the man. She’d had enough short conversations with him to understand him somewhat. Combined with the way that Rebekah spoke about her brother with admiration over him following his dreams, Caroline had developed a hopeless crush on him.

 _That_ was her biggest secret; the one that she was sure would tear her and Rebekah apart if it ever came out.

“I didn’t realize someone else would be here,” Klaus continued, startling her out of her thoughts. He started to turn back around-

“ _Wait_ ,” Caroline exclaimed, voice coming out half-strangled. She quickly cleared her throat, embarrassed when Klaus turned around to face her again. One of his eyebrows were quirked at her and she couldn’t help but notice how his blue eyes seemed to be sparkling. “Uh, the balcony is big enough for both of us,” Caroline said hesitantly, brushing her loose curls behind her ear. “You don’t have to leave, if you want to clear your head,” she said, forcing herself to meet his eyes and hold his gaze.

Slowly, a smirk spread across Klaus’ lips. He stepped back out on the balcony, closing the door behind him and then proceeded to walk over to her. When he came to stand beside her, leaving some room between them, Caroline turned back around to face the night.

“I actually came out here to have a smoke,” Klaus said after a moment of silence. Caroline faced him when he shifted slightly, taking out a cigarette, placing it between his lips. “You don’t mind, do you?” he asked, lighting it before she had a chance to tell him that she actually _did_ mind. He took a drag and she was momentarily distracted by the way his pink lips curled up in another smirk as he exhaled the smoke through his nostrils. He tilted his head slightly to the side, away from her, but he kept his eyes locked with hers.

“Not at all.” The sarcastic remark fell from Caroline’s lips and she turned away from him, looking up at the stars again.

The chuckle that followed was low, but she still heard it and it made her heart beat just a bit faster. She tried to push down the feeling in her gut, force the butterflies to _stop fucking fluttering_ in her gut, but it was to no avail.

“Isn’t this your party?” Klaus asked, taking another drag from the cancer stick before placing his elbows on the railing. He was looking at her and Caroline glanced down at him, keeping her spine straightened when she nodded. “Then what are you doing out here alone?” he wondered next, leaning casually against the railing as he straightened slightly too, facing her more fully.

Caroline watched him curiously, asking herself whether this was actually the longest conversation they had ever had and whether she was imagining it, or of he actually seemed interested to hear her answer. His dirty blonde, curly hair was perfectly unruly, as if he had spent most of the night running his fingers through it. She hadn’t seen him downstairs and Rebekah hadn’t told her that he would be in Mystic Falls this weekend, so his presence had caught her by surprise. He wore casual clothing though, dark faded jeans and a gray Henley shirt. Around his neck, various beaded necklaces hung and for a moment, Caroline wondered what it would be like to just pull him closer by them.

“I needed some fresh air,” she finally responded, not wanting to let her mind wander into territories that would undoubtedly make her feel even more awkward around him. She was normally confident around boys and it bothered her to no end that the man who was currently keeping her company had such an effect on her. Clearing her throat, she decided to give him a pointed look as she continued to speak, more determined this time. “Fresh air that I’m certainly not getting with you blowing smoke in my direction every few seconds,” she told him, earning yet another chuckle from him.

His eyes sparkled mischievously again as he looked at her curiously now. “My, my,” he said. “Bekah has a way of choosing friends with a sharp tongue, doesn’t she?” There was a hint of something in his voice that made goosebumps rise on Caroline’s arms. Klaus’ eyes moved down momentarily, trailing over her body slowly. Caroline was glad that she had worn her black dress tonight. It was tight, enunciating every last one of her curves and she felt warm under Klaus’ gaze. He met her eyes again, flicking the cigarette out over the railing carelessly. “And beautiful too,” he added shamelessly, giving her another quick once-over.

Caroline was grateful for the fact that it was dark outside. It made it harder for him to see the blush that had crept up her cheeks at his comment.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she told him, trying to stay confident. She wasn’t really sure where the conversation was going, but she had an inkling that she would need to try and keep her mind set straight.

“You should,” Klaus said. “It was meant as one.”

They stood there for a while then, just looking at one another. Caroline was certain now that she had never spent this long in his presence alone. Rebekah was usually there as a buffer and if she ever did catch him alone, she quickly excused herself before she could babble away and embarrass herself. Her heart continued to beat loudly in her chest now. It seemed to stutter every time Klaus raised his eyebrow at her, smiling slightly with that curious look constantly present in his eyes.

What the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she get her mind off of his beautifully shaped lips and how she desperately wanted to run a hand through his unruly curls?

“I should probably get back downstairs,” Caroline said, realizing that her thoughts wouldn’t go away anytime soon. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid to her best friend’s brother.

“Anxious to get away from me, aren’t you?” Klaus laughed. “Do I make you uncomfortable with my compliments?”

“I’m sorry, Niklaus-”

“ _Klaus_ ,” he interrupted her. “You can call me Klaus.”

It wasn’t the first time that he had reminded her that he didn’t like being called by his given name. Caroline took a deep breath. “ _Klaus_ ,” she started again, “this has nothing to do with you.”

It did though.

It had _everything_ to do with him.

“It’s my birthday party, as you mentioned before,” Caroline continued. “I need to get back downstairs.”

“You probably don’t know half of the people downstairs,” Klaus pointed out, scoffing. “I know Kol invited his friends to this party as well.”

“You’re right about that,” Caroline found herself saying, mentally slapping herself for agreeing with him. She was trying to excuse herself and yet she kept finding reasons to stay with him.

A smile graced Klaus’ face and Caroline was left staring at him because she wasn’t sure she had ever seen him _smile_ in her direction before. She didn’t even notice the small step he took toward her until butterflies erupted in her stomach when she realized the closeness between them. It happened when Klaus reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear again, but not before removing a piece of confetti that had apparently gotten stuck in it. Caroline flushed when she realized she must have had the sparkling piece in her hair throughout their entire conversation. Klaus on the other hand, didn’t seem put out by it. In fact, he was looking at her as if he found her endearing or something.

“So stay here and keep me company then,” he suggested, quite boldly.

“I don’t even know you,” Caroline said, the words falling from her lips before she could stop them. “You’re Rebekah’s older brother who has suddenly realized that I exist.” She tried not to sound bitter, and she thought she succeeded fairly well.

“I _have_ noticed you,” Klaus countered and this time, Caroline didn’t bother to hide the fact that she was staring at him.

“You have?” she asked, incredulously.

Klaus nodded slowly, his jaw suddenly clenching slightly, but his eyes didn’t waver from hers. “I’m just not much for talking to girls when my siblings are around and I’m much less keen on making a move on someone who is underage,” he said and suddenly, it was a bit more difficult for Caroline to breathe properly.

“No, instead you just drag the girls into your room and let your siblings assume what you get up to in there,” Caroline blurted, surprised by the annoyance that made an appearance in her tone.

This time, Klaus’ eyes did move away from hers, but only for a second. He had faltered and suddenly, it was as if Caroline was seeing him for the first time again. There was something different about him and she didn’t want to hope that it was what she thought it was. Besides, it wasn’t as if she would be able to act on her own feelings. She wouldn’t risk her friendship with Rebekah for anything in the world, not even Klaus.

“There’s that sharp tongue again,” Klaus recovered, lazy smirk on his lips once more as he eyed her. “If we choose to overlook my previous indiscretions, how about we address your previous statement? I’m sure it’s something that can be fixed easily,” he told her and she had lost him for a moment before he continued to speak. “Get to know me, Caroline,” he said, her name rolling off of his tongue in a way that was way too pleasant. “I dare you.”

The look in his eyes combined with the way that he said that last sentence had snapped her out of her daze. “You’re Rebekah’s brother,” she whispered angrily, as if she worried that someone might have overheard their conversation. She took a small step back from him, but he countered it by stepping even closer to her than before.

“So?” he shrugged, and her breath caught in her throat when he reached down to take her hand. “Will you at least think about it?” he questioned, pulling her hand up to his lips, pressing a light kiss against her knuckles that almost made her dizzy. He didn’t break eye-contact with her as his oh-so-soft lips curved up into another smile, genuine once more. Caroline could only stare at him as he finally let go of her hand, squeezing it once before stepping back from her. He walked backwards to the door, still smiling at her.

“Happy birthday, Caroline.”

***

_It had been a lovely day and a wonderful, yet somewhat strange night._

When Caroline had made her way downstairs later, she hadn’t seen Klaus anywhere. She was sure he had gone back to his room and locked himself up in there as he usually did, but his words about noticing her before tonight still echoed in her head. When she met up with Rebekah, her friend had asked her if everything was all right and Caroline had assured her that it was just tiredness that was catching up with her.

Later, when all the guests had left and a few stragglers had fallen asleep around the house, Caroline and Rebekah had finally retired for the night. They had talked for a bit and Caroline had thanked Rebekah for throwing the party, and Rebekah had promptly dismissed her, telling her that it was the least she could do as her best friend. Soon enough, Rebekah was asleep and snoring lightly in the bed.

Next to her, Caroline laid awake, staring up at the ceiling as she thought about the evening. She couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to Klaus again. The way that his eyes had seemed to sparkle every time he had looked at her and the almost playful look on his face when he had dared her to get to know him. Just thinking about their conversation made her stomach do somersaults. It wasn’t just his good looks that drew her in, nor was it the fact that he was still somewhat of an enigma to her. Tonight, there had been something about him that made her see him in a completely different light. The crush that had been based on nothing more than attraction had suddenly seemed to grow a bit more and the mere thought of it made Caroline even more nervous. She wasn’t sure what Rebekah would say if she ever found out that Caroline liked her older brother. It was the cliché of all clichés, the trope of every fifth romantic comedy that she had ever watched…

Suppressing the urge to groan at her own silliness, Caroline turned to lay on her side, careful so that she wouldn’t disturb Rebekah. She closed her eyes tightly and tried not to think about her speeding heart anymore.

And if anyone had asked her the next morning, she would have denied dreaming about sparkling blue eyes and a mischievous smile that made her breath catch in her throat and her knees feel weak.


	2. October 31, 2010

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time passes since Caroline's birthday and Klaus is still around. On Halloween, the school organizes a party and Caroline attends with her friends. Naturally, she tries to ignore the attraction she feels toward her best friend's brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Since this fic takes place in the year that Caroline turned 18, I used the wikia page for Vampire Diaries and learned that Caroline's birthday in the previous chapter was apparently on October 10. That means that Caroline turns 18 in 2010. In other words, this fic takes place in 2010, but there will most likely be some time jumps eventually. Just go along with the flow and enjoy the ride. I don't know how frequently I'll be able to update, but that depends on how motivated/inspired I feel. Until next time, enjoy this chapter! :) xx
> 
> P.S. This chapter ended up longer than I expected! :)

**_Part II - October 31, 2010_ **

The week following Caroline’s birthday party had strangely enough not been anything special. A part of her almost questioned it, wondering to herself why she had felt as if something would change with what had transpired during her party. It seemed, however, as if the Universe was telling her that it was time for her to officially get her head set straight and focus on what was important.

Caroline and Rebekah went shopping a few times, or hung out with their other friends at the Grill. Mostly though, they studied, trying to keep up with their assignments since they were in their senior year now and needed the grades in order to apply to college. Besides studying, they both kept up with their extra-curricular activities at school. Elena and Bonnie had both decided to quit cheerleading this year, but Caroline and Rebekah stayed on the team. Elena was thinking about following in her parents’ footsteps and becoming a doctor, which meant that she needed to improve some of her grades in order to apply for medical school. Bonnie, on the other hand had quit in order to be able to spend more time with her grandmother, who had been feeling ill for the better part of the year. Nevertheless, just because Bonnie and Elena had quit the team, it didn’t mean that they didn’t still spend time together. Caroline was certain that there was nothing that could break their tightly knit friendship apart.

Except for maybe Caroline’s secret.

Every single day she since her birthday, she had forcibly reminded herself of why it was a bad idea to allow herself to fall deeper into the crush that she had on Rebekah’s older brother. Thinking about Klaus and the conversation they’d had on the balcony during her birthday party made her wonder just what had been going through _his_ mind when they had been talking. Some of the things he had said implied that he might have had an eye for her before that night, but had never made a move due to Caroline’s age. He was five years older than her, studying in New York and she was in her senior year of high school. They were in completely different places in life and she understood that he probably saw her as nothing more than his baby sister’s friend who was sometimes at their mansion when he came to visit.

And yet, she couldn’t help but think about how he had looked at her that night. It had plagued her dreams, the moment that he had plucked a piece of confetti from her hair and the way that his eyes had sparkled when he had asked her to get to know him. Caroline was confused and torn, not knowing what was the right choice to make. She loved Rebekah and she didn’t want to lose her best friend. She had seen first hand how Rebekah treated any girl that Klaus brought home with him over a weekend. It was always a different girl and Caroline was certain that it was because of that that Rebekah always ended up arguing with Klaus. Her other brothers were different. Finn was in a committed relationship with his long-term girlfriend Sage and Caroline was fairly certain that she had heard rumors that the two of them were going to get engaged before Christmas this year. Finn was thirty-three years old and it was clear that Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson wanted their oldest to settle down officially. Elijah never brought back any women, even though Rebekah had told Caroline that he was dating someone in secret. Usually, he only came to stay in the mansion when their parents were out of town. He had his own apartment to hang out with his secret girlfriend, as Rebekah had said so many times. Kol usually kept his flavors of the week away from his family home, even though he loved to pester his siblings with stories about his many conquests at Whitmore. The few times that he had brought a girl back, Rebekah had pestered him about it so much that Kol ultimately figured it wasn’t worth the grief. Klaus really was the only one who paraded the women around and Caroline would be lying if she said that it didn’t occasionally sting. She was fairly certain though that the reason he persisted in inviting his hookups back to his home was because he knew how much it bothered his sister. Klaus was apparently like that, never wanting to let anyone else have power over him.

This time around, Klaus hadn’t brought a girl back home, though. Caroline hadn’t asked Rebekah about it, but her best friend had happily shared the information herself when Caroline had casually dropped the fact that she hadn’t known that Klaus would be visiting this week.

“He’s close to graduating,” Rebekah told her one evening when they were studying in Caroline’s room. “He’ll have his fancy art diploma and he’s already finished his teaching degree. If there’s ever a time to get serious, it’s now.”

Caroline had known that Klaus was studying art and history, but she hadn’t known that he wanted to teach. She mulled over all the information that she had gathered since she had met him and she honestly couldn’t recall that _teaching_ had ever been mentioned by either sibling.

“Are you saying that he isn’t already serious?” Caroline had raised an eyebrow at Rebekah, scribbling down a note in the side margin of her textbook.

“I’m saying that he needs to start adulting properly,” Rebekah corrected. “Nik _broods_ , Caroline. Don’t mistake that for him being serious in any way.”

The comment had made Caroline laugh and then the two of them had continued with their studying. Still, later that night, Caroline couldn’t help but think that Rebekah might have been mistaken. After all, Klaus had seemed serious enough when he had asked her to get to know him.

***

The thing about Klaus though, was that Rebekah had not only failed to mention that he would be there for Caroline’s birthday, but she had also refrained from telling Caroline that he would be staying in Mystic Falls for the remaining part of October. Kol had been the one to casually drop that fact when Caroline had been over one day to work on her science project. It had been quite embarrassing for her since she had bumped into Klaus in the kitchen and then blurted out, “What are _you_ doing here?” while sounding rather accusing. He had offered her a quirk of his eyebrow and then Kol had stepped inside and told her that Klaus was staying until November.

“The fucking git doesn’t have any classes,” Kol had said, grinning at Caroline as he reached over her to fetch himself a glass in one of the cabinets. “He figured since mother and father aren’t here, he would prolong his visit.”

Caroline had stared at the two of them and Klaus had huffed, smacked Kol up the head and said, “That’s not the language you use in front of a lady, mate.” He had then looked at Caroline and met her stare, but Caroline had blinked twice before excusing herself. Kol had said something else, but she hadn’t heard it because of the pulse that was making her ears ring. The heat of Klaus’ stare on her back had made her practically run out of there, forgetting why she came down to the kitchen in the first place.

The first week had moved slowly, but the second one, after she had found out that Klaus would be staying longer than planned went a bit faster. Every day in school, she and Rebekah were busy planning the annual Halloween party that the high school hosted. This year, Caroline had a bit trouble deciding on what she was going to dress as, but Rebekah had suggested that the two of them, along with Elena and Bonnie, should all go dressed as a unit. They discussed it and finally decided on going as Greek goddesses. They had already Googled their options, decided on which goddesses they wanted to go as. Caroline was excited about it because together with Rebekah, she had made sure that all of their details would be impeccable as well. Sometimes, Caroline couldn’t help but wonder whether they were wasting their time though, especially since people would undoubtedly look over the details and not understand more than the fact that their costumes are connected to ancient Greece.

Caroline didn’t want to let that put her down, though. She wanted to go to the party and she wanted to have a good time with her friends. It was their senior year and there was no way of knowing exactly where they would end up when they went to college. The mere thought of being separated from her friends ate at Caroline, but she understood that it was still a natural progression of life. Eventually, she would have to be separated from them, whether it was because of college, work or life in general. She couldn’t expect that they would always be together.

However, until they didn’t have a choice but to go their separate ways, Caroline would make sure that she spent as much time with them as possible.

***

The planning and the preparations for the Halloween party finally came to a head on the 31st of October. It had been a long day at school and Caroline had spent most of her time running around and making sure that everything was perfect in the gym. Rebekah had helped, of course, although Caroline had told her to make sure that the dresses they had ordered were finished for the night as well. Once she finished up with the work she had at school, she checked the time on her phone. Mumbling to herself, she counted the minutes that it would have taken Rebekah to drive from the tailor in town to Bonnie’s house where they would be getting ready. Caroline’s mother had called in a favor at the tailor’s shop and they had been given a deal to get the dresses they had ordered online fixed.

Knowing that Rebekah had most likely already made it to Bonnie’s house, Caroline nervously bit her lip before dialing the number she knew by heart. It rang a couple of times, but she wasn’t disheartened; she had done this too many times since her birthday and she was honestly embarrassed about it.

“ _Hello, Klaus speaking,_ ” the familiar voice finally answered and Caroline’s heart jumped in her chest. Still chewing on her lip, she entered her car, throwing her bag in the passenger seat and pulling her seatbelt on. “ _Who is this?_ ”

Nearly smacking herself for not saying anything, Caroline finally managed to breathe out. “Hey,” she started, unsurely. “Klaus? Uh, it’s Caroline,” she said, scrunching her nose up at the sound of her own voice. Jeez, could she be more desperate?

His husky chuckle that she had learned sent shivers down her spine sounded on the other side of the line. “ _Caroline_ ,” he repeated her name, his tone lazy, drawing out her name in the way that only he knew how to. “ _To what do I owe the pleasure?_ ”

“I was wondering if Rebekah was still at home by any chance?” Caroline asked, hoping that he wouldn’t see through her lie. She truly was pathetic and she berated herself for it every single time that she did this.

“ _Bekah left about half an hour ago,_ ” Klaus replied. “ _I’m the only one at home, since my brothers have decided on spending this evening with their significant others._ ”

She wondered why he was telling her that. Did he want to point out that he was alone at home merely because he somehow thought it fit into the conversation? Or was he trying to tell her something else?

“Does Kol have a girlfriend?” Caroline asked instead, and this time, she did smack herself on the forehead. She rubbed at the spot, hoping that Klaus hadn’t heard the smack over the line.

“ _I should have been more specific, perhaps,_ ” Klaus mused. “ _Kol is buying alcohol for his own party at Whitmore tonight. Either way, he is otherwise occupied at the moment, leaving me all by my lonesome at the house_.”

“Didn’t he invite you to the party?” Caroline wondered. Absentmindedly, she trailed her fingers over the wheel, knowing that she had to get going soon if she wanted to make it to Bonnie’s in time for their mani-pedis in preparation for the party.

“ _He did. It won’t start until later, though… Hey, Caroline?_ ” he said and Caroline sat straighter in her seat.

“Yeah?”

“ _Why did you call on the home line?_ ” Klaus questioned and suddenly, Caroline’s nerves rose again.

Oh, God. He had seen right through her, probably. How could she have been so stupid?

“Like I said, I wanted to see if Rebekah was home,” she answered, maybe a bit too quickly.

“ _And you couldn’t have just texted her or called her mobile phone?_ ” Klaus chuckled. She could practically see the way that he raised his eyebrow. It was _so him_.

“I… I guess it was just an impulse call,” she supplied lamely. If she smacked herself on the forehead again, she would surely leave a bruise there that would be hard to cover.

“ _You know, love, now that I think about it, you have been calling us on this line every other day, asking for Rebekah even though she conveniently enough either left the house or was busy with something_ ,” he said, sounding smug.

“Where exactly are you going with this?” Caroline rolled her eyes. It was easier to fall back into her role of indifference than it should have been, but she could still feel her nervousness rising with every word that he said.

“ _If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you were calling in order to speak with someone else_ ,” Klaus told her. There was no accusation in his tone now. He was clearly just stating what he believed and yes, he was spot on, because she _had_ been calling every other day, already knowing that Rebekah would be busy, leaving one of her brothers to pick up the phone. Of course, since Finn and Elijah weren’t there during the day and Kol was away at Whitmore for classes, it was expected that Klaus would be the one to answer. It was childish and definitely pathetic, something that she had berated herself for too many times already. Whenever she would go over to the Mikaelson mansion, the butterflies in her stomach would wreak havoc. Still, a part of her had slowly become addicted to the sound of Klaus’ voice and she was so confused about him that another part of her wanted to provoke him into addressing what had transpired between them. Calling the mansion’s main phone line every other day hadn’t been something she had _planned,_ exactly. It had happened once or twice and then, when she had realized that Klaus was always the one answering, she started to crave those small conversations that they shared where he couldn’t see how red she got whenever he said her name.

Realizing that she had been quiet for too long, she finally cleared her throat, “Yeah, I’ve been trying to get a hold of Kol, but unfortunately, I only get your smug tone which makes me want to tear my ears off.”

“ _That’s awfully graphic, sweetheart,_ ” Klaus said, sounding amused. He could see right through her, she knew, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of admitting anything.

“Yes, it is,” she said, putting the car key in the ignition, starting the engine. “Anyway, I have to get going. I’m in the car and I have to get to Bonnie’s house.”

“ _Of course,_ ” Klaus replied. “ _I hope you have a wonderful evening, Caroline. Be responsible with your drinking, love._ ”

“It’s a high school party, Klaus,” Caroline countered. “There’s not even supposed to be alcohol there.”

“ _I am certain that your peers will find a way to spike the punch,_ ” he said in response. She couldn’t help but wonder whether that meant that he found people of her age irresponsible or something.

“Why do you say? Did you do things like that when you were our age, old man?” she teased, not being able to help herself.

“ _I’ll share my stories with you one day, but I wouldn’t want to corrupt you too soon_ ,” Klaus replied. He sounded so sure of himself. As if he knew for sure that he would be telling her stories of his school time sometime in the future. And that thing about him corrupting her? Caroline couldn’t stop herself from commenting on it.

“That sounds an awful lot like a promise, Klaus,” she pointed out. She frowned at herself when she realized the tone she had spoke in. Her voice was low and it sounded as if she was actually flirting with him. Her heart beat a bit faster inside her chest.

“ _Perhaps it is_ ,” Klaus said, his own tone lowering slightly. “ _Would you want it to be?_ ”

Caroline swallowed thickly, nodding to herself but knowing that she couldn’t tell him that. Instead, she decided to sigh loudly and exasperatedly to cut their conversation short. “I have to get going. Bye, Klaus,” she said, changing her tone.

Klaus didn’t seem bothered by the sudden change though, because he just chuckled again.

“ _Take care, love_.”

***

Going dressed as Greek goddesses as a group was probably one of the best decisions they could have ever made. It was Halloween and there weren’t any rules that said that their outfits needed to scary. The gym was filled with students dressed like everything from ghouls to spacemen, but Caroline was glad to see that no one other than her and her friends had dressed like Greek deities. There was, of course, Matt and Tyler, who Rebekah had convinced to dress up as a pegasus together. They complained throughout the night, although Caroline couldn’t help but laugh whenever she saw Tyler trying to flirt with a girl while being dressed as the behind of a horse. When he gave up, seeing as no girl was interested in talking to a winged horse’s ass, he and Matt separated. Tyler quickly found a seat next to Caroline and started talking to her about school and everything else. She liked him well enough, so she didn’t mind talking to him, but her mind kept drifting to Rebekah who seemed to be getting almost a bit too comfortable on the dancefloor. Rebekah was dancing with Matt, twirling around while holding the edge of her short gown, making sure it wouldn’t fan out too much and show off her underwear. The dress had a more modest cut, but it was the shortest one out of their costumes. Rebekah had wanted to go dressed as a lesser known goddess and she had decided on Nemesis, who was the goddess of fortune and retribution. Around her middle, on a belt, she had added the small detail of a golden whip and a fake dagger which was also fastened there. Rebekah decided upon wearing wings as well, since Nemesis was often portrayed as a winged goddess. Unfortunately, some of the other students mistook her for being dressed as an angel of sorts, something which irritated Rebekah. She hadn’t bothered with correcting them though, although she had fumed over it for a while until Matt had distracted her with a dance.

Bonnie had decided on dressing as Demeter, the goddess of harvest and Elena was Athena, the goddess of wisdom. While Elena wore a shield on her back that she had found online at a cosplay shop and a helmet, Bonnie wore a golden wheat crown. Caroline had grinned at Elena when she had supplied her with a stuffed owl to carry around as well.

Bonnie had teased Caroline relentlessly when Caroline had revealed her own choice of goddess. She had decided to dress up as Persephone, the goddess of spring and the Queen of the Underworld. It just so happened that Demeter was Persephone’s mother too. While they had been getting ready, Bonnie had joked around, taking the role of pretending to be Caroline’s mother seriously. They had laughed so much that Caroline almost worried that they would end up being giggling messes at the party as well. So far, they had managed though, but Bonnie had touched the flower crown in Caroline’s hair once or twice, pretending to make sure that she was ‘presentable’, as any mother hen would.

The night was going well, until Tyler decided to share the fact that the punch had indeed been spiked. Caroline, who had refrained from drinking too much of it had finally understood why Rebekah was letting her hair down while dancing and she knew that it was probably time to get home. Rebekah had had far more to drink than Caroline and it was clear that the alcohol was affecting her. Matt, who hadn’t drunk anything offered to take them home, but Bonnie and Elena were almost passed out as well from exhaustion that Caroline told him to drive them instead, since they lived on the way to his place. Caroline figured that she could call the mansion and check if anyone was there. Otherwise, she might have to call her mother, which she wouldn’t look forward to at all considering that she had a long shift tonight.

With Tyler’s help, Caroline managed to get Rebekah outside and into the fresh air. She sat her best friend down on a bench and thanked Tyler, who offered to stay with them until someone came to get them. Of course, Caroline tried to assure him that they would be fine, but he insisted.

Nevertheless, when Caroline called the Mikaelson mansion, she was actually surprised to have someone pick up the phone after just one ring. It was just her luck too, that it would be Klaus picking up the phone. Pushing down the bubbly feeling in her stomach, she quickly summed up what had happened and told him that Rebekah needed to get home somehow. Klaus told her that he would be there in a few minutes and then proceeded to hang up, not giving her the chance to ask him whether he had been drinking at the party that he had gone to.

Fourteen minutes later, Klaus pulled up by the school with what Caroline recognized as Kol’s black range rover. He stepped out of the car, giving his sister who was snoring away on Caroline’s shoulder a disapproving look before he gently picked her up and carried her to the car without a word. Caroline noticed that he was wearing all black though, something which seemed to suit him perfectly.

“Do you need a ride home?” Tyler asked, looking at Caroline.

She turned to him, grasping at what to say. Tyler had been drinking the punch too, but she assumed that he might have another ride arranged. Before she could reply though, Klaus had returned to her side, his hand coming to rest on her bare shoulder.

“I got her, mate,” he said, giving Tyler a pointed look. Caroline couldn’t help but notice that there was something underlying in the way that he spoke to Tyler.

“You sure, Care?” Tyler asked and Caroline quickly nodded.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, smiling at Tyler. “My house is on the way to Bekah’s anyway, but thank you… And thanks for staying with us too.”

“Anytime,” Tyler said. “Good night then, I guess.”

“Night,” Caroline smiled again, feeling Klaus’ hand gently lead her to turn toward the car. He had put Rebekah in the backseat and she had quickly sprawled out on the leather, leaving Caroline to sit in the front next to Klaus.

Klaus was silent as he drove them through the empty streets and Caroline tried to pretend that her heart wasn’t hammering away in her chest when she thought of their conversation earlier that day. She hadn’t known why she decided to call the mansion. It could have been the small amount of alcohol that she had consumed, but she couldn’t be sure. She didn’t know what to think of Klaus’ silence, though. All she knew for certain was that she didn’t like it.

“What were you doing home?” she found herself asking. “I figured you would still be at Whitmore.”

Klaus took a turn and then cleared his throat. “I decided to cut the night short,” he admitted. “I have a flight back to New York tomorrow afternoon and I haven’t even packed yet.”

“Oh,” Caroline said, saddened by the fact that she was just now hearing that he would be going back to school tomorrow. She knew that Kol had said that he didn’t have any classes this month, but she didn’t know that he needed to return to New York on the first day of November.

“Is that sadness I detect, Ms. Forbes?” Klaus wondered, his tone suddenly teasing.

“Maybe,” Caroline said. “Or I’m just too tired to properly react with giddy joy.”

This time, Klaus let out a laugh. For a moment, Caroline was worried that he might have woken up Rebekah, but her friend was still passed out when Caroline turned to look at her.

“I am guessing that my assumption about the punch was correct, love?” Klaus proceeded to ask.

“Yes,” Caroline nodded. “I found out too late on Rebekah’s part, but I hadn’t been drinking much from it anyway.”

“Were you heeding my advice or were you just too busy dancing to hydrate?”

“Too busy dancing,” she said, glancing over at him in hopes to see some kind of reaction. Klaus was perfectly still though, which was probably a reaction all of its own. Noting that he wasn’t going to say anything else, she decided to change the subject. “You haven’t been drinking tonight?” she asked.

“As I said, I have a flight tomorrow. I wouldn’t want to be suffering from a hangover while traveling,” Klaus responded.

They fell into silence after that because Caroline didn’t really know what else there was to say. His statement made sense and a thousand things were going through her mind that she wanted to ask, but she knew that she probably shouldn’t. It wasn’t her place to know whether or not he had seen someone attractive at the party or if something had happened. Klaus seemed deep in thought as it was and she didn’t want to bother him with incessant questioning that she had no business with anyway. She had a crush, so what? It didn’t give her the right to interrogate him on what he had been up to.

When they pulled up to Caroline’s house, she was surprised when Klaus exited the car and walked around to open the door for her. Caroline could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks when Klaus wordlessly followed her to the door, leaving the car running so that Rebekah wouldn’t get cold in the back.

“You didn’t have to walk me to the door,” she said, fumbling with her keys for a moment. It wasn’t fair that he had this kind of effect on her.

“I needed to show you that I am a perfect gentleman,” Klaus said, his voice teasing.

He made Caroline laugh though and when she turned to look at him, he looked oddly satisfied with himself. She finally managed to get the door opened and she stepped inside, turning to glance at him once more. He remained standing outside, but he didn’t look as if he wanted to leave just yet. The car was still running and she was sure she should tell him to get Rebekah home, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She wanted to see if he would say anything else, especially since he would be leaving tomorrow and she probably wouldn’t see him for a while.

“The Lockwood boy seemed pretty keen on taking you home tonight,” he said suddenly, shaking her out of her thoughts. She met his steel eyes and she wondered exactly what it was that she was seeing in them. If there was jealousy in there, he hid it well.

“And yet, I went home with you.”

The words fell from her lips before she could stop them. Caroline reacted, covering her mouth with her hand as if she could force the words back in, but she knew it was too late. She looked up at Klaus and stared at him with wide eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t interpret her wrong.

Although, he would probably be interpreting her correctly either way.

“I am glad you put your trust in me then,” Klaus said, nodding curtly. There was an amused smile on his lips that eased Caroline’s worries and she couldn’t help but let out a low laugh.

“Well, considering what you’re wearing,” she motioned to his all black outfit, “maybe I shouldn’t have. What did you even dress up as? A ninja?” She knew that he wasn’t one though, because he wore black jeans and a black shirt. The top two buttons were unbuttoned and Caroline could see his familiar bead-necklaces peaking out.

“Actually, I left the mask I wore at home,” Klaus told her. “I went as an all-black devil.” He looked at her, from head to toe and Caroline waited, knowing that he would say something about her own outfit. “I would have said that we matched, but Hell and the Underworld are a bit different, don’t you think, _Persephone?_ ”

Caroline’s eyebrows shot up, surprised that he had actually correctly guessed her costume. Naturally, her surprise only lasted for a moment before she remembered that he studied art and history. It was clear that he must have had classes on ancient Greece, it’s culture and mythology as well in connection to his major.

“What gave it away?” Caroline wondered, tucking one of her curls behind her ear.

Klaus reached forward, touching the flower crown on her head. “This, for one,” he supplied. “Persephone was the goddess of Spring, after all… Your dress, light pink and pure,” he continued, eyes trailing over her form carefully, as if he was trying to memorize it. “The pomegranate necklace would have been the biggest giveaway though, if all else failed.” He lightly touched the pendant and Caroline felt her cheeks heat up again when his finger brushed against her skin.

“You’re the first one to guess it correctly,” she said, voice much quieter than she had intended. Klaus seemed to have heard her low whisper, although he stepped a bit closer to her. Caroline found herself glancing down, but he gently touched her chin with his fingers to make her meet his eyes.

“The offer still stands, you know?” he said after a moment of just looking at her.

Caroline knew that he was talking about her getting to know him better. She couldn’t help but think about all the small looks they had shared during his stay in Mystic Falls this time around. There was something that had changed significantly between them since her birthday, but Caroline wasn’t ready to face it yet. Besides, Klaus was returning to New York _tomorrow_ and it would probably be another month or so until he came to visit again. She had to focus on her schoolwork and finishing senior year, not exploring the crush she had on her best friend’s brother, which would surely only end in disaster.

Taking a small step back and away from him, Caroline held his gaze as she spoke. “You should try telling me that sometime when I haven’t been drinking,” she told him. “Maybe I’ll consider it then.”

It hadn’t been exactly what she had planned on saying, but Caroline was going to blame the alcohol on it this time too. She was far from drunk, although she needed something as an excuse as to why she just couldn’t tell the man in front of her to leave her alone. Then again, that wasn’t what she wanted at all. Her life would only get more complicated if she and Klaus somehow got involved. She didn’t even want to think about what Rebekah would undoubtedly have to say about them if she ever found out.

“You should get Bekah home,” she said, sounding tired but also a bit resigned. She was sure that once Klaus left for New York, he would surely forget all about tonight and the other conversations they had had.

“You’re right,” Klaus finally conceded. “Until next time then, I suppose, Ms. Forbes.”

“Mr. Mikaelson,” Caroline nodded curtly and a small wave of satisfaction rolled through her when she saw the corner of Klaus’ mouth twitch.

“I’d rather you call me by my name,” he told her.

“Niklaus, then,” Caroline said, feeling the tension between them ease slightly, but not completely.

Klaus grimaced, “You know what I mean.”

“ _Klaus_ ,” she giggled, giving in, and this time, he did give her a full-blown smile.

He looked gorgeous when he smiled and Caroline’s heart always beat just a little faster at the sight of his perfect white teeth and the way the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly, giving away that it was a genuine grin.

“Caroline,” he returned, offering her a nod of his own before finally stepping back. She watched him walk to the car, the smile never leaving her lips because she could still see the grin on his face. Caroline wasn’t sure what it meant, but she saw him send her one final look before getting into the car. When she closed the door to the house and locked it, Caroline leaned her back against it and breathed out, heart still racing at the mere thought of his smile.

Yes, she had it bad apparently. Fortunately though, it seemed like she would at least have some time to try and get over her crush on Klaus and move on from it. Smiling to herself, Caroline made her way upstairs to her room. She figured that getting over her crush could start tomorrow. Instead, she would give herself the night to think about their conversations and the smile that he had sent her right before he drove away, with that familiar sparkle still in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably see, this will most likely end up being a slow burn... If I keep writing, most chapters will all relate to "special occasions" since Klaus is usually away in New York unless there's a holiday or something. Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment and tell me what you thought. :) xx


	3. November 21, 2010

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at the Mikaelson's mansion leads to tension rising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! I'm back again with yet another chapter of HBFB (I'll officially start using this acronym to refer to this story...)! Honestly, the chapters of this story keep getting longer and I still have no idea how I manage to find the time to write them. Either way, thank you so much for the positive response to this story so far! Your words of encouragement give me inspiration to keep going, so please, share your thoughts! For now, please enjoy this new chapter! :) xx

**_ **Part III - November 21, 2010** _ **

 

Caroline smoothed out the blouse she wore. Her head tilted to the side as she took in her appearance; a pair of black jeans that fit her like a second skin, a dark purple blouse that flared out a bit, v-necked and thus allowed her to show just enough cleavage to show that she was indeed growing up. Her hair was wavy and she decided to leave it down tonight. Pushing up the long sleeves of her blouse to her elbows, she grabbed her mascara and quickly applied a few layers. She picked up her rosy lipstick, coating her lips in it and then smacking them together as she took in her final look. For tonight, it would do.

Grabbing her bag, she looked at her phone, seeing that she already had a few missed text messages from Rebekah who was complaining about her house being full with cockroaches again. Caroline couldn’t help but smile, just imagining how Kol must be wearing on Rebekah’s nerves as he teased her relentlessly. Pulling on a pair of boots, Caroline decided that she had perfected the look between casual and I’m-going-to-a-fancy-not-too-fancy-dinner-party. It was nearing six o’clock and she knew she had to get going if she was going to make it there before six thirty.

“Mom, I’m leaving for Rebekah’s!” she called out. “I’ll be sleeping over there tonight, so don’t wait up!”

“Okay, Caroline,” her mother’s voice returned from her study. “Have fun!”

Caroline grinned to herself, shaking her head as she carried her bag to her car. Putting it on the passenger seat, she looked at herself once more in the rear-view mirror, wondering if she was really ready for tonight. Three weeks had passed since she had last seen Klaus and she knew that he was going to be at the Mikaelson’s house tonight. She was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect. Klaus wasn’t the only one who was back in town over the weekend. Esther and Mikael had returned to Mystic Falls recently and Caroline wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing them. They were intimidating, both of them; they were driven and successful business owners, having managed to build up a wealth over the years that assured their children’s security, if anything was ever to happen to them. Caroline knew that Esther was a bit easier to talk to than Mikael. Whenever Caroline was around, the woman nowadays tried to make her feel comfortable in her presence, but there was still something scary about her. Perhaps it was her willingness and borderline desperation to protect her family from people who could do them harm. Rebekah had told Caroline once about how she’d had two more siblings who had died, but Caroline had never learned the details of their deaths. Caroline suspected that if something like that happened, it would only be natural for a mother to want to protect her other children from harm. It was something that made Esther reluctant to accept strangers into their home. Caroline could still remember the questioning she had first gotten when she had come to the mansion for the first time to work on her and Rebekah’s project. Esther had practically interrogated her and at first, it had put Caroline off completely. She had thought that Esther’s behavior was even more proof that Rebekah and her family were crazy, but eventually, she had warmed up to them all. Esther’s fierce love for her children still scared Caroline a little because she couldn’t help but wonder how far the woman would actually go to protect her children. After seeing that Caroline wasn’t a threat though, Esther had become more welcoming whenever she was in town.

The only one that she still didn’t feel a hundred percent comfortable being around was Rebekah’s father, Mikael. There was always a stern look on his face, a look that told Caroline that he didn’t trust easily. While his wife might have accepted Caroline’s presence in their home, Mikael seemed adamant to mostly just ignore Caroline whenever she was there. When he wasn’t traveling, the older man simply locked himself up in his office and Caroline made sure to stay out of his way. She knew that he wouldn’t actually do anything to hurt her. Well, she hoped that he wouldn’t.

Rebekah had never done or said anything to imply that her father was a violent man, but there was something about him that rubbed Caroline the wrong way. She didn’t come around as often when she knew that Mikael was home, although there had been a few times when it had been unavoidable.

Like tonight.

A few days ago when they had been in school, Rebekah had walked up to her with quick steps. Without much greeting, she had told her that her parents were back in town and that Klaus was coming to visit this weekend as well.

“Finn wants to host a family dinner,” Rebekah had said. “Elijah thought it would be a good idea to invite you too.”

Caroline had looked at her friend and quirked her eyebrow before pulling out her chemistry books from her locker. “I’m sorry, __Elijah__  thought it was a good idea to invite me?” she had questioned. “Why?”

“Oh, come on, Care,” Rebekah sighed. “You know how tense things can get whenever Nik and my parents are at home at the same time.” She shifted on her feet and gave Caroline another pointed look.

“You’re telling me that Elijah wants me there as a buffer in order to make Klaus and your parents behave around one another?” Caroline had asked, not being able to help the laughter from bubbling out of her lips. “Bekah, you know that me being there won’t make much of a difference.”

It was true, of course, because Caroline had witnessed several times how cold and detached Mikael could be toward Klaus. She didn’t understand how someone could behave like that toward their own child, and it made Caroline angry to see that Esther wasn’t much better, especially when Mikael was standing close to her.

“I’d rather not come,” Caroline had told her best friend, knowing that the whole situation would just make her feel awkward.

“Caroline, please,” Rebekah had said. “I don’t know why Finn wants to throw this dinner party thing, but I’m sure Elijah does. He said that it was important that everyone in the family did their best to keep things light and you being there could really help.” Rebekah had taken a hold of her hands and looked at her with her big, shiny eyes. “Please, Care?”

Caroline had been weak and unable to tell her best friend ‘no’, so she had agreed to come. That was how she found herself on the way to the Mikaelson mansion to join Rebekah’s family for a dinner party that was surely going to end up a mess. She and Rebekah had decided to make the most of it, since it was a weekend anyway and have a sleepover of their own. Still, Caroline would make the best out of the situation and try to change the subject whenever one of the Mikaelson’s wandered into dangerous territory that threatened to trigger someone else.

She arrived at the mansion a couple of minutes later and she ran her fingers through her hair before grabbing her bag and heading for the front door. Ringing the doorbell, she waited anxiously for someone to open it for her. Tapping her foot against the ground, she looked around, wondering just what it was that was taking so long. Before she could reach out and ring the bell again, the door opened to reveal a disheveled looking Kol. His eyes swept over her once and a smile spread over his lips.

“Finally,” he said. “Rebekah has been freaking out, fearing that you might have bailed on her. Let me take your bag-”

“I’m fine thanks,” Caroline told him, giving him a look. “I still remember what you did to Rebekah’s bras and I don’t want you going anywhere near mine.” She was teasing him and she knew that he was aware of if because another grin made it’s way onto his face.

“I would never,” he told her, but the amusement in his voice told her otherwise. “Unless you wanted me to, of course, sweet Caroline,” he added teasingly. Caroline shot him a warning look and Kol laughed. “Rebekah is still in her room. Everyone else is slowly taking their seats, but she has refused to join us until you get here.”

“Well, I’m here now and I’m starving, so this dinner better be good,” Caroline said, finally stepping inside. She made her way toward the stairs, but as she started ascending, a shiver ran up her spine and she threw a look over her shoulder. There, talking to Kol in a hushed tone, was Klaus. She halted for a second, wondering if he had seen her walk away and taken the opportunity to approach his brother. What was he talking to Kol about? Her curiosity had made her stop walking, but when Klaus’ eyes shifted away from his brother and made their way toward her, she felt the blush creeping up her cheeks. He took her in from head to toe and it reminded her of the last night she had seen him, when he had given her a ride home from the Halloween party. Back then, he had eyed her carefully as if he was trying to memorize her and now, that same look was still there in his eyes, along with something else. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but she looked at him as well. He wore casual clothes, much like the night of her birthday party. Klaus had pushed the long sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and Caroline thought she could make out just a hint of dried paint on his hands. His jeans were ripped at the knees and she saw paint splatter on them too, making her wonder whether she might have overdressed for the occasion. His jaw was unshaven, a light stubble there which only served to make him look even more rough around the edges and appealing. When she met his eyes again, she noticed that there was amusement shining in his eyes and she knew that he had noticed her giving him a once-over. Not wanting to show her embarrassment at being caught staring at him, she stood straighter and met his eyes straight on. When his lips curved up into a smile and his head dipped forward in an acknowledging nod, Caroline finally continued up the stairs. Her heart hammered away in her chest, but when she made it to Rebekah’s room, her best friend attacked her in a fierce embrace and the small moment that she and Klaus had just shared fell from her mind completely.

***

Besides the sound of cutlery connecting with the porcelain plates and the occasional clink of a wineglass, there was no sound in the dining room as the small party ate their food. Caroline cut into her meat slowly, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. She was sitting next to Rebekah, close to the middle of the large table. Esther was at the end of the table across from Mikael, next to Rebekah who had taken a corner seat next to her mother. Across from Rebekah, Kol sat and next to him, opposite Caroline, Klaus occupied a seat. Elijah sat next to Klaus and at the head of the table, Mikael was staring up at his wife every other minute, not even trying to make conversation. On Caroline’s other side sat Finn’s girlfriend, Sage. She was sitting opposite Finn, who was sitting between Elijah and Mikael. From what Caroline had heard, this dinner party had been Finn’s idea and she couldn’t help but wonder just how he had wanted this evening to go. Caroline had been invited by Elijah, from what Rebekah had told her, and she was meant to be acting as a buffer of sorts. Still, she couldn’t think of a single thing to ease the unexplainable tension in the room. She wondered how Rebekah managed to deal with it every time that her family was gathered like this. Caroline had thought that it was bad enough whenever the Forbes’ got together for a barbeque, but this dinner party surpassed all levels of awkwardness, even that one Summer that Nana Forbes had tried to hook Caroline up with a distant cousin.

Just thinking about it now made Caroline shudder. She froze the moment that she felt eyes on her and she glanced up, eyes momentarily falling on Klaus’ that were observing her in silence.

“Are you cold, dear?” Esther asked, obviously grabbing the opportunity to start a conversation.

“Oh, no,” Caroline answered quickly. “I’m fine, I swear. I just got a bit lost in my thoughts for a moment.”

“Understandable,” Esther nodded. “You’re graduating high school soon, are you not? It’s only expected for your mind to be scattered. Do you mind me asking what your future plans are?” Esther wondered, taking a bite from her roasted potatoes.

Caroline flushed, feeling that everyone’s attention was on her now. Rebekah nudged her softly on the leg and Caroline startled, glancing at her friend. Rebekah offered her a small smile of encouragement and Caroline finally turned toward Esther again.

“I’m not entirely sure yet,” she said honestly. “I mean, I’ve had preliminary plans for everything in my life, but after working at a daycare last year for a few weeks during the Summer, I’m actually thinking about teaching.”

“Ah, another teacher in our midst,” Kol mused, nudging Klaus who shot his brother a glare before looking at Caroline again.

“There are different forms of teaching, Kol,” Klaus said. “While I am hoping for a PhD in order to teach in the higher levels of the educational system, it does interest me to know what you would like to teach, Caroline.” He was looking at her and for a moment, she found it difficult to focus. He had phrased his words as a statement instead of a question. It made her wonder whether this too was him wanting to get to know him. He had been away for about three weeks and she had been certain that he would forget about the few moments they had shared during his last visit. Caroline would have been able to overlook the way that he had eyed her when she had arrived, especially considering that Klaus hadn’t said a single word to her until now.

She cleared her throat, taking a sip from her water before meeting his eyes again. “As I said, I’m not sure yet,” she repeated. “All I know is that I would probably like to work with younger kids, maybe first graders… Oh, and I’m hoping to maybe get into Whitmore, since it’s closer to Mystic Falls and my mother.” Caroline looked at Rebekah who nodded subtly, indicating that she had given a reasonable answer.

“Sounds like you do have a plan, after all,” Elijah said, looking mildly impressed. “I am sure that you will excel at whatever you end up working with in the future.”

“Yes, indeed, big brother,” Kol mused. “Caroline is quite ambitious, if I remember correctly from when I went to Mystic High.” It wasn’t meant in a mean way and Caroline smiled gratefully at the support that Rebekah’s brothers gave her.

“Sage has also worked at a preschool,” Finn spoke up, looking at his girlfriend with something that Caroline could only explain as adoration.

“Really?” Caroline asked, looking at Sage who nodded, wiping her mouth on a paper towel.

“Yes, back in England, before I moved to the States,” she explained. “I worked there for a while before I had enough money to pay for my tuition at Harvard. There’s only so much that recommendations and scholarships will do.”

“And now she is close to becoming a partner in one of the leading law firms in Virginia,” Finn beamed, making Sage flush.

“It only proves how accomplished one can get when one invests in their own future,” Esther agreed, sending a smile toward Sage which Caroline thought actually looked genuine.

Caroline smiled too, glad that there was finally a conversation flowing around the table, even though Mikael had mostly remained silent. He had seemed to listen intently to Caroline’s thoughts about her future, so she only hoped that it was like Rebekah had indicated, and that she hadn’t made a complete fool out of herself.

“But why Whitmore?” Klaus suddenly asked and Caroline looked up at him again. “Wouldn’t you want to see what else is out there in the world? Why confine yourself to small towns in Virginia?”

“Perhaps not everyone does everything in their power to get away from their family like you, Niklaus,” Mikael sneered.

The effect of his voice was instant. The other members of the Mikaelson family paused in their conversation, looking between the patriarch and the son who had gone against his parents’ wishes and followed his own dreams. There was an annoyed look that flashed over Klaus’ face, although he masked it quickly, turning his attention back to Caroline.

“I was merely stating the fact that there are other cities with must greater prospects for an aspiring teacher,” Klaus said and there was something about the way that he said it that made Caroline wonder if there might be a secret meaning behind his words.

“Well, as I’ve said already, I’ll see what I end up doing,” she said. “I don’t have to make a real decision until after New Year’s anyway, so I’ll just try and enjoy the little time I have left before I have to make the tough choices.”

“In that case, I hope you’ll enjoy it to the fullest,” Klaus said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

It was embarrassing how Caroline’s heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She gave him a smile and he returned it, but the look that he was giving her implied that he had meant his words in a much deeper way than the conversation between them gave away.

Finn cleared his throat, butting his suit jacket as he stood up with his wineglass in his hand. Caroline was glad for a chance to break eye-contact with Klaus. She had already started imagining in what ways she would have been able to enjoy her time to the fullest, most of the scenarios having Klaus as the leading star. She needed to get a grip on herself and the urges inside of her that were forcing their way to the surface. It would truly be a shame if her well-kept secret crush on Klaus came to light when she threw herself at him over the dinner table and had her way with him in front of his entire family. Caroline was __not__ into voyeurism and she was certainly not planning on losing her best friend any time soon.

“I have an announcement to make,” Finn said, looking pointedly from his father to his mother and then finally Sage. “I don’t want to steal too much of your time, so I’ll keep it short. As you all know, Sage and I have been living together for a year now and we have been together even before that,” he said. “The reason that I invited you all here today was so I could share the news with you all, that I have asked Sage to marry me and she has accepted my proposal.”

Instantly, the people around the table set in motion. Rebekah squealed, clapping her hands excitedly as she grinned at Caroline, who had a mild suspicion that the other blonde was going to hijack the wedding planning. Elijah stood, embracing his brother and congratulating him while Esther moved around the table and went to kiss Sage on both cheeks. Klaus stood too, mumbling a low congratulations, while Kol happily exclaimed that Finn was a “sly dog” for catching such a fine woman like Sage. Mikael stood too in the end, offering the engaged couple their blessing and from what Caroline could tell, he looked extremely pleased by his son’s news.

The tension that had been present in the room moments earlier seemed to fall away. Caroline and Rebekah both embraced Sage, asking to see the ring which of course was quite traditional. Sage explained that she had always loved jewelry that looked almost antique and Finn had clearly taken that into consideration when he had bought the ring. It wasn’t a Mikaelson heirloom, something which Esther now shared that the next one to get married would get, but it was beautiful. Caroline smiled brightly as she took it in and for some reason, her eyes moved and connected with Klaus’. Her breath caught in her throat at the look that he was giving her and her stomach made those funny somersaults again.

“Alright, everyone,” Kol said after a moment of shared congratulations. “We still have food that needs eating and then we can talk about the imminent wedding as well as the most important part: __the stag party.__ ”

“You are ridiculous, baby brother,” Klaus said. “Do you really think that Finn would be foolish enough to let you plan it?”

Kol was about to protest, but Rebekah decided to speak up about something else instead. “I think we should have an engagement party,” she said and Caroline was glad that she managed to change the subject that would most likely have led to questions about who would be the best man.

“That is a lovely idea, Rebekah,” Esther agreed. “We have to have it soon unless you want to wait until next year since your father and I will be traveling to London next week.”

“It absolutely can’t be this year,” Rebekah said. “The school his organizing it’s very first Winter ball, something that yours truly has been planning since the semester started.”

“Rebekah was the one who suggested the event to the principal,” Caroline explained. “It has been a project of hers ever since it was approved by the teachers.”

Caroline still remembered when Rebekah had expressed that she wanted to organize the whole thing for extra credits. Rebekah was thinking of studying event planning eventually, something that Caroline too had thought of before she started viewing teaching as the more appealing option for herself. Since the ball had been approved though, Caroline had been assisting Rebekah the best she could. With less than a month to go until the ball, they were both busy. Caroline suspected that Rebekah would want to play her own part in planning the engagement party, so naturally, she would try to get her family to postpone it until after New Year’s Eve.

“I don’t know, Rebekah,” Esther said. “We don’t want to wait too long…”

“We could make it a bigger party,” Rebekah said. “Celebrate the engagement __and__ Klaus’ imminent return to Mystic Falls.”

Klaus cleared his throat and shot his sister a look, “I won’t be graduating until Summer and even then, I don’t know if I’ll return to Mystic Falls or travel for a bit.”

“It would do you better to find yourself a job,” Mikael stated, glaring daggers at his son and Caroline could feel the tensions rising again when Klaus stared back at his father, eyes narrowed.

“I wouldn’t mind postponing the engagement party,” Sage piped up, looking at Esther who nodded slowly.

“I suppose we could wait until next year… Have it before the children go back to school,” Esther said thoughtfully.

It didn’t escape Caroline’s attention how Esther didn’t say anything about celebrating Klaus too. She knew that the relationship between Klaus and his parents had been tense ever since he went against their wishes and decided to not go to business school. Caroline knew that it stemmed from Mikael’s disappointment and that Esther wanted to remain on her husband’s side in that matter. She couldn’t help but find the whole thing kind of mean though. Why couldn’t they just be supportive of Klaus? Kol wasn’t studying business either in the way that Elijah and Finn had, but he wasn’t getting any shit for that. It all seemed kind of unfair when Caroline thought about it.

“Then it’s settled!” Rebekah grinned. “I can focus on planning the Winter ball and then after New Year’s Eve, we can decide on a more specific date for the engagement party.” She looked over at Caroline and smirked. “I’m sure that we can get you a plus one to the engagement party too, Care.”

“Oh,” Caroline blinked. “That’s a family matter and I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense,” Kol laughed. “You’re practically a part of this family already, __Care-bear__.”

“I will stab you with my fork, Kol,” Rebekah growled at her brother, who once again laughed.

“Pray tell, though, sweet Caroline,” Kol said. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”

“I don’t-” Caroline started, but Rebekah promptly interrupted her.

“Tyler Lockwood has been trying to ask her out for __weeks__ ,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Caroline has been rejecting him ever since the Halloween party. Not that I remember that he did anything wrong there.”

Caroline’s cheeks flushed as she glanced around the table. It felt strange to have her love life be the topic at a Mikaelson family dinner. Mikael seemed lost in his phone though, no longer paying attention and from what she could see, Finn and Sage were just looking at one another lovingly. Elijah had enough tact not to comment, but he ate his food quietly, even though he was looking more amused by the minute that passed. Oh, how Caroline would have loved to wipe away the smug smirk on his lips by bringing up his secret girlfriend that he was still successfully hiding from the rest of his family. Kol and Rebekah were glaring at one another, clearly silently warring. Klaus, though… He was just staring at her.

“Lockwood? The mayor’s boy?” Esther wondered, sounding intrigued. “He is the one courting you?”

“No one __courts__ nowadays, mother,” Klaus said, sounding irritated. He was still staring at Caroline and she couldn’t help but stare right back at him and frown. What was he thinking? Why was he acting like this?

“Yes, Tyler is the mayor’s son and he’s a good guy, deep down. He used to be kind of an ass, but he changed a lot during the Summer,” Caroline said, turning her attention back to Esther. She blushed then, realizing that she had just referred to one of her friends as an ‘ass’ in front of the Mikaelson matriarch. Esther didn’t seem too bothered by it, although she did nod.

“Well, you’re a sweet girl, Caroline,” she said. “Perhaps you should give the boy a chance, since he’s being so adamant.”

Caroline held the woman’s gaze for a moment, nodding slowly. “Yeah, maybe,” she replied. Somehow, her eyes found their way back to Klaus’ and the way that he was looking at her now made her heart beat fast and her stomach knot as her face felt a thousand times hotter. Even though dinner was coming to an end, Caroline had a feeling that Klaus was far from done with his questions.

***

Because Rebekah had needed to talk to her mother about something, Caroline was left alone for a while after dinner. She headed up the stairs, figuring that she might as well wait for Rebekah in her room. As she past the large balcony though, she saw the door slightly open, the faint smell of cigarette smoke making its way into the house. Scrunching up her nose, she started for the door, wanting to close it. Naturally, she already knew who it was that was smoking because among the Mikaelson siblings, Klaus was the only one brave enough to smoke in his parents’ home.

“Caroline,” Klaus acknowledged with a nod the second that he saw her standing in the doorway. His eyes traced the line of her body as they had downstairs and Caroline’s gut tightened. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out on the balcony, closing the door behind herself. Klaus’ eyes followed her as she walked up to the railing, hands resting on the wood there as she looked out into the night, much like she had on her birthday. She could feel his gaze and it was making her heart race. She wasn’t even sure why she had decided to join him.

Who was she kidding? She knew perfectly well why she had stepped out onto the balcony without much prompting. All it had taken was a look from him and him saying her name.

They stayed silent for a while, but she knew they were on borrowed time already. Rebekah could come looking for her at any moment.

“I see you haven’t quit-”

“You look nice-”

They cut themselves off and Caroline couldn’t help the giggle that fell from her lips as she took in his face. How cliche; the two of them speaking at the same time and stopping to just stare at one another again. Klaus motioned for her to go on and she smiled politely.

“I see you haven’t quit smoking,” she voiced her previous thought.

He raised an eyebrow at her and took a long drag from the cigarette before flicking it away, just as he had done on her birthday. Turning away from her, he blew out the smoke, but his eyes remained locked on hers. “Can’t say I remember ever promising to do such a thing,” Klaus mused, his lips quirked in amusement.

“You didn’t,” Caroline agreed, “but I figured you’d do the sensible thing.”

“Hm…” Klaus hummed, leaning against the railing, still watching her.

“You were saying something before? When I cut you off?” Caroline clarified.

“It’s probably better you did… Cut me off, I mean,” Klaus said. “I would have made a fool out of myself.”

Caroline turned so that she was facing him. “How come? If I heard you correctly, you were about to say that I looked nice?”

Klaus glanced down. Caroline noticed that he was picking away at some paint that was stuck under his fingernails.

“Describing your looks as ‘nice’ would have been inadequate, Caroline,” he said. Caroline couldn’t help but notice how his words sounded like a confession. Before she could say something, he continued to speak. “Has anything changed between you and that Lockwood boy?”

Caroline frowned, “Tyler and I are friends. Just because he wants to ask me out and try to be more, it doesn’t mean that it’ll work out.”

“Ah, the dreaded friend zone,” Klaus grinned and Caroline shot him a disapproving look.

“It’s not like that,” Caroline said. “I might accept going on a date with Tyler eventually, I just-”

“Like to see him sweat?” Klaus suggested, smirk still in place.

Caroline smacked him on the arm and shook her head. “God, you’re such a child sometimes,” she said, but a laugh still fell from her lips. “Look, even if I did agree to go on a date with Tyler, it wouldn’t be any of your business. If you want __us__ ,” she motioned between the two of them, “to be friends, we can be. I’m not going to put my life on hold for anyone though.”

Especially not Klaus, but that went unsaid.

Klaus shot her a look and glanced down to the side again. Caroline followed his gaze and tensed when she realized that her hand was still resting on his arm. His very __firm__ arm. She started to pull his hand back but he quickly raised his own and held hers in place.

“I would never ask you to do that, Caroline,” he told her, this time sounding serious. Their eyes remained connected for much longer than necessary and Caroline realized just how close they were standing again. It was ridiculous, how she never noticed when the two of them seemed to gravitate toward one another.

“Can I borrow your phone?” Klaus questioned. His question was so sudden that Caroline was shaken out of her thoughts. She fumbled for her phone in her pocket when Klaus released her hand and offered it to him, not even thinking twice about what he was doing. When he took out his own phone, her mind jump started and her lips parted slightly. A smile rested on Klaus’ face as his fingers moved quickly over the phone before he handed it back to her.

“What did you do?” she asked, but she was a hundred percent certain that she already knew.

“Gave you my number,” he replied. “If you ever need something. Help, advice or if you just want to talk while I’m in New York… Or if you know I’m in Mystic Falls and you need anything, I’ll be there. Just give me a call.”

“I don’t need a big brother, Klaus,” Caroline said, although her heart was racing in her chest at his kindness. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was another attempt on his side to get to know her. Now that she had his number, she could contact him whenever she wanted to, even when he was in New York. He had invited her to do as much. Just the thought of calling him when he was away made her feel dizzy. If Rebekah knew…

“I am not looking to be your big brother,” Klaus told her, his eyes darkening as he spoke. Caroline stared again, feeling the change in the air between them. All of the sudden, she felt warmer, despite the chilly November air. Her heart beat just a little faster again and she knew that this couldn’t be healthy on any level. She would have to Google the symptoms later, because surely, a racing heart, sweaty palms and an unbelievable urge to jump her best friend’s brother were signs of something being terribly wrong with her. She could hear the double meaning in Klaus’ words and she wasn’t blind. His pupils were dilated and somehow, the distance between them had almost disappeared completely. She felt his hand close around hers and suddenly, her toes were brushing against his. The intensity of his stare and the tantalizing way that he licked his lips, leaning in. Caroline’s breath hitched and her eyelids felt heavy, fluttering closed.

The sound of the balcony door opening made her feel as if a bucket of ice had been dumped over her head. She and Klaus stepped back from one another so quickly that Caroline almost stumbled. Klaus’ hand shot out on instinct and he caught her arm to steady her. Thinking quickly, Caroline bent and pulled at her shoelace before placing her hand on the back of her shoe. She looked up when Rebekah joined them, pausing at the door with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s going on here?” Rebekah asked, looking between Klaus and Caroline. Klaus’ hand was still holding Caroline steady and Caroline was still bent down slightly. She pretended to pull up her shoe.

“I had a pebble in my boot,” Caroline said, the lie falling from her lips effortlessly. “I was just trying to pull on my boot when I almost tripped. Your brother probably saved me from tumbling right off the balcony.”

“That true, big brother?” Rebekah wondered, eyebrow raised at Klaus who cleared his throat. Caroline looked at him, wondering whether she was seeing things, or if he too had flushed cheeks.

“Very true,” Klaus nodded. He let go of her arm and Caroline knelt down, lacing up her boot again. She made the mistake of looking up at Klaus through her lashes, only to see him staring down at her, his eyes once again dark. She tugged her lower lip between her teeth and stood, facing her best friend again, who was watching them with the same curiosity as before.

“What were you even doing out here before that then?” Rebekah asked, head tilted to the side.

“I was having a smoke and Caroline was kind enough to keep me company,” Klaus said, his mask once again back in place. He wasn’t giving anything away now. “Just two __friends__  having a chat,” he added, looking at Caroline again. She swallowed thickly but nodded. She couldn’t ignore the way that he had said ‘friends’. Clearly, he was trying to tell her something by being so pointed.

“Yes,” Caroline said. “It was nice catching up, Klaus. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some nails to paint.” She walked to Rebekah and the two of them stepped inside the house again. Caroline closed the balcony door again, meeting Klaus’ eyes through the glass. Her heart jumped when he shot her a wink, lazy smirk still there.

Together with Rebekah, Caroline made her way to Rebekah’s room.

“What was happening on the balcony, Care?” Rebekah asked again when they were alone. “Did he say something to you? If he did, I’ll kill him for you, you know?”

“Bekah, it’s fine,” Caroline insisted. “We were just talking.”

Rebekah nodded, albeit slowly. Caroline only hoped that she believed her. Inside her chest, her heart was still racing. She was trying not to imagine what might have happened between her and Klaus if Rebekah hadn’t interrupted them when she had. Her cheeks still felt warm and her arm was tingling from where Klaus’ hand had rested on it.

Later, when Rebekah was fast asleep, Caroline looked at her phone. She checked her contacts and smiled when she saw Klaus’ name. Forcing herself not to think twice, she clicked on his name.

 

**_**_CAROLINE_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:05 AM]:_ ** _ ** __

__‘Sorry for leaving like that. You’ll regret giving me your number.’_ _

__

Half a minute passed and then her phone buzzed. Caroline quickly looked at Rebekah, but her best friend’s sleep hadn’t been disturbed by the noise. Glancing at the screen, she once again found herself smiling.

 

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:06 AM]:_ ** _ ** __

__‘No chance, sweetheart. I have only one regret when it comes to you.’_ _

 

Caroline started to reply, but then her phone buzzed again with another message.

 

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:06 AM]:_ ** _ ** __

__‘And don’t worry about leaving. My sister’s timing is horrid.’_ _

__

Shaking her head to herself, she typed quickly.

 

**_**_CAROLINE_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:06 AM]:_ ** _ ** __

__‘Don’t blame Bekah. She did nothing wrong.’_ _

__

**_**_CAROLINE_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:07 AM]:_ ** _ ** __

__‘What do you regret?’_ _

__

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:07 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘You’re not ready yet. I’ll tell you one day.’_ _

__

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:07 AM]:_ ** _ ** __

__‘I’ll blame Bekah if I want to.’_ _

__

**_**_CAROLINE_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:08 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘Don’t pout.’_ _

__

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:08 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘Why? Does it make you think things you shouldn’t?’_ _

**_**** _ **

Caroline chewed on her lip again, imagining that pink pout of his. __God, yes.__  It did make her things she most likely shouldn’t be thinking. It was highly inappropriate and the fact that it was about her best friend’s brother made it a thousand times worse.

**_**** _ **

**_**_CAROLINE_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:10 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘You should sleep. So should I.’_ _

__

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:10 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘It does, doesn’t it?’_ _

__

**_**_CAROLINE_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:10 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘Sweet dreams, Klaus.’_ _

__

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:11 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘With this newfound knowledge of what my pout does to you, I am sure they will be.’_ _

__

**_**_KLAUS_ ** _ **

**_**_[01:11 AM]:_ ** _ **

__‘Good night, Caroline.’_ _

 

Her jaw was aching from smiling so much, but she couldn’t help it. Caroline’s heart was calm now as she read the messages she had just exchanged with Klaus. He was probably in his room down the hall and she wondered whether he too was smiling. She wasn’t sure what was going on between them, but she knew that attempting to be friends with him couldn’t be a bad thing. She might not be able to act on her feelings because of Rebekah, although she was sure that her best friend couldn’t object to Caroline getting to know her brother as a friend. Besides, wasn’t Rebekah always complaining about Klaus not being social enough in New York? If he wanted them to be friends, she had meant what she had said to him. She wanted to be his friend and if Rebekah questioned it, Caroline was sure she could use her thoughts of getting into teaching as a cover. Still, just thinking about the man now, Caroline wondered how she would manage to keep her feelings under wraps. She could imagine his lazy smile as he read her messages and she wondered whether he would really be okay with the two of them just being friends. Having his number, texting him on occasion, couldn’t be the __worst__ thing, right? She wanted to get to know him better because he was an interesting person. She wanted to be able to call herself his friend. Light flirtation had never harmed anyone.

“Famous last words,” Caroline muttered to herself as she put away her phone and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I hope you liked the chapter. I was having trouble figuring out how to format the texts, but I think this way works the best and makes it clear what's happening. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share! :) Oh, and also, the next chapter will not have any direct interactions between Klaus and Caroline. There will however be text messages (most likely) and phone calls and personal gifts sent over the post office. Thank you again for reading. I have a few more chapters planned, but I feel this story has the potential to be a longer slow burn. If there are any particular moments you'd want to see, feel free to write me any suggestions! ;) Lots of love! xx


	4. December 21, 2010

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the day of the long-planned Winter Ball, Caroline receives a gift from New York which leads to long-distance conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for not posting anything for months. I'm not going to get into what I've been up to, but I have been very busy. This chapter might not be my best work, but I do hope that you'll enjoy it either way. Also, I have like two more chapters planned out for this fic, although I am thinking about traveling into more angsty territory as well... Tell me what you think and if you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see! :) xx

**_Part IV - December 21, 2010_ **

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:17 PM]:_ **

_ ‘I am going to kill you.’ _

 

Caroline stared at the box on the bed. Her heart felt as if it was going to beat straight out of her chest while she waited for a response. She couldn’t quite grasp what she was seeing on her bed, and to be honest, the surprise gift had clearly taken her mother aback as well. Liz had come home half an hour ago, carrying a large box with her. When Caroline had approached her, Liz had promptly handed the box over to her.

“This was delivered to the station around noon today,” Liz had told her. “It was addressed to me, but I was given specific instructions to give it to you without opening the box.”

Caroline had looked at her mother and frowned, seeing that the box had clearly been opened anyways. “Ok _ ay _ ,” Caroline had said, dragging out the word.

“Curiosity got the better of me,” Liz had confessed. “I didn’t look at the note inside though.” With those words, her mother had gone to the kitchen to make herself some coffee, leaving Caroline to inspect the contents of the box. Imagine her shock when she had gotten to her room and opened it, only to reveal a beautiful, blue ball gown with rhinestone embroideries. Her mouth had fallen open and she had instantly reached for the note.

 

_ I WISH YOUR EVENING IS AS MAGICAL AS YOU. _

 

_ ~ KLAUS _

 

Caroline had lifted the dress from the box and held it against her body, knowing that it would be a perfect fit without needing to try it on. That was when her heart had started pounding and her palms had grown sweaty. She didn’t understand why he had sent her the dress, but at the same time, she kind of had an inkling. That was why she had sent him the text message.

Klaus had left for New York over a month ago. They had kept in touch through text messages and random calls from time to time, but Caroline couldn’t help but miss him sometimes. The problem was that he was busy with studying and working and Caroline herself had had lots of work to do in preparation for the Winter Ball. Besides that, Caroline had gone out of her way to get everyone the perfect gifts for Christmas, which was just around the corner. Her busy schedule had kept her from communicating with Klaus over the past week. That was why this gift had come even more as a surprise. Then there was also the fact that she didn’t want to seem clingy. Klaus was her best friend’s brother and in truth, she had no business texting and calling him. He didn’t seem to mind though, and from what she had learned, Klaus wasn’t exactly the type of person to shy away from saying what was on his mind.

Caroline’s phone buzzed and she instantly placed the dress on the bed, picking the mobile device up from her desk.

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:22 PM]_ **

_ ‘I take it you like your gift?’ _

 

Rolling her eyes, Caroline huffed to herself. She could only imagine the smug smile on his face.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:22 PM]_ **

_ ‘Why would you send me this, Klaus?’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:22 PM]_ **

_ ‘I would appreciate an honest answer.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:23 PM]_ **

_ ‘When have I ever lied to you?’ _

 

Once again, Caroline rolled her eyes. She decided that she wouldn’t reply until he gave her the answer she wanted. Turning her attention to the dress again, she couldn’t help but admire the design of it. Picking up the note he had sent her, she read it over and over again until the words were memorized in her mind. She was certain that this was something she would never forget.

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:25 PM]_ **

_ ‘You’ve been complaining about buying gifts for everyone else and not having time to find yourself a proper dress for the ball. Rebekah filled me in on the fact that you found something that was adequate, which didn’t exactly ring well in my ears.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:26 PM]_ **

_ ‘So you got me a dress and delivered it to the police station?’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:27 PM]_ **

_ ‘Yes. I wanted to make sure that it didn’t get ruined in the mail. Deliveries to the police station are usually taken very seriously.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:28 PM]_ **

_ ‘It’s a dress, Klaus!’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:28 PM]_ **

_ ‘It was for you.’ _

 

Caroline found herself staring again. She could hear his voice in her head, saying the words, looking at her as intently as he had done that night on the balcony. She could imagine how they would shine with mirth before growing serious, trying to convey to her just how much he meant what he had said.

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:30 PM]_ **

_ ‘I meant what I wrote in the note. I want you to have a good time and if anyone deserves to feel special, it’s you, Caroline. Don’t over think things like you normally do. Wear the dress, enjoy yourself and know that I only wish I could have been there to see you all dressed up myself.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:31 PM]_ **

_ ‘I don’t over think things!’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:31 PM]_ **

_ ‘Fine. Maybe I do sometimes… Thank you, Klaus.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:31 PM]_ **

_ ‘The only thanks I’ll need is you enjoying your evening, love.’ _

 

Her cheeks were warm, but she couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:32 PM]_ **

_ ‘Still, thank you… I’ll send you a picture later.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:32 PM]_ **

_ ‘Not THAT kind of a picture!’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:33 PM]_ **

_ ‘You had me worried there for a moment… Or perhaps ‘excited’ would be the proper word to use.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:33 PM]_ **

_ ‘Although, I would like a picture. If or whenever you have time.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:34 PM]_ **

_ ‘I think you mean ‘improper’! Also, maybe you should just get Facebook.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:34 PM]_ **

_ ‘I’d rather not.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:34 PM]_ **

_ ‘I am very well aware of what I meant, Caroline.’ _

 

There was a knock on the door and Caroline lowered her phone quickly. Her mother stepped inside the room, taking in the dress that laid on the bed.

“It’s beautiful, Caroline,” Liz said, smiling a little. “Tyler is a lucky guy to be taking you to this ball.”

“We’re just friends, mom,” Caroline insisted. “I know he kind of has a crush on me, but I’ve told him where I stand when it comes to the two of us.”

“Still,” Liz said with a shrug. She nodded toward the package. “The sender is from New York,” she stated. “Now, I don’t know if you ordered it online or if a friend of yours decided to surprise you.”

“It’s a gift,” Caroline confirmed.

“And the only person you know in New York, is Klaus Mikaelson, right? Rebekah’s brother?” Liz continued.

Caroline groaned, “What’s with the third degree, mom? Yes, it’s a gift from Klaus. We’re friends. Is that so hard to believe?”

Her mother hummed for a moment, taking a sip from her coffee. “It isn’t, actually,” she admitted. Caroline raised an eyebrow at her mother, surprised by this answer. “I know that you and Rebekah are close,” Liz continued. “Just like everyone else in town, I was a bit skeptical about the Mikaelsons when they first moved here, but the children grew on me over time. I don’t know much about Klaus since he spends the least amount of time here, but if he’s anything like Rebekah, I’m not surprised that you get along with him.”

“Hm… Okay,” Caroline replied, not really knowing what else to say.

“Also, I know that it’s perfectly normal for a girl to have a crush on her best friend’s big brother at some point in her life,” Liz added.

Caroline choked on her own spit, staring wide-eyed at her mother who smiled at her again. “Mom!” Caroline protested, but Liz only shrugged again.

“I know, I know,” she said. “We don’t normally talk about these things… I just want you to know that if you ever need to talk to me about something that you don’t feel comfortable telling Rebekah… I’m here for you, Caroline.”

Caroline’s relationship with her mother had never been easy, but she didn’t doubt the fact that her mother was telling the truth. Liz might be busy with her work a lot, although Caroline was sure that her mother would drop everything for her if it was really an emergency. They loved each other, even though they sometimes sucked at showing it.

“I know, mom,” Caroline said, walking up to her mother so that she could embrace her. They hugged each other for a while until Liz finally pulled away.

“Don’t you have to get ready?” Liz asked.

Caroline turned her attention to her clock on the wall. It was 4 PM, which meant that Rebekah should be arriving in about half an hour or so. “Bekah will be here soon and then weäll do each other’s hair and makeup,” Caroline said.

“Okay, good,” Liz said. “I have to get back to the station. I just wanted to drop off the dress and to tell you to have fun tonight.”

“Thanks, mom,” Caroline smiled. “I, uh… Can you please not tell anyone about the dress? I’m not sure people will understand…”

“It’s not any of my business, really,” her mother replied. “Although, for the record, it doesn’t seem like you are the only one with a crush.”

Caroline stared at her mother’s retreating back, not replying this time. She knew that there was something brewing between herself and Klaus. Caroline definitely had a crush on her best friend’s brother, but she hadn’t thought much about Klaus’ flirtatious behavior until now. It had seemed as if it was just second nature to him; a game that he enjoyed playing. They were friends, yes, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he felt more for her than that.

The dress he had sent her though, and the note that had accompanied it… She couldn’t help but wonder. Not only that, but Caroline remembered what Klaus had written to her that first night that they had texted. He had told her that he only had one regret when it came to her and that one day, when she was ready, he would tell her about it. She wanted to know, even if the thought of it scared her a little. 

Picking up her phone again, she looked at the last message she had received.

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:42 PM]_ **

_ ‘I need to get going. Have fun tonight, but not too much fun with the Lockwood boy.’ _

 

Caroline couldn’t help but laugh, remembering just how Klaus had reacted when she had casually dropped the fact that she was going with Tyler to the ball. He had immediately acted as if he was busy and then, half an hour later, he had called her up again and apologized profusely for hanging up on her. His excuse had been pathetic, but she hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of him potentially being jealous. In fact, she hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up that he had been. When she had told him all those weeks ago that she wasn’t going to put her life on hold for anyone, she had meant it. Klaus was in New York and she was still in Mystic Falls. They were nothing more than friends and she couldn’t allow her crush on him to keep her from exploring things with other guys. Even though she didn’t feel anything romantic toward Tyler, she had accepted when he had asked her to the ball because she’d rather go with a friend than be there alone.

Sighing to herself, she typed a quick reply to Klaus before putting her phone away.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[04:14 PM]_ **

_ ‘Oh, I’ll have fun… After all, I have a new dress to show off.’ _

 

***

The evening really had been magical, just like Klaus had predicted. Her blonde hair had been curled and put up. Rebekah had used some clear rhinestone pins to put it up, allowing a few curls to slip out, giving the illusion of a messy getup. Caroline had wondered silently whether her friend had been in on Klaus getting her the beautiful blue dress, but she hadn’t asked. When Rebekah had gushed over the beautiful dress, she hadn’t asked about its origins, which was why Caroline hadn’t said anything about it. The less she talked about it, she figured, the fewer questions Rebekah would ask.

When they got to the big hall that they had rented for the ball, Caroline had felt the way that all the girls in the place looked at her. She had held her head high though, smiling when she greeted Tyler and Matt. They had decided early on that they would meet there instead of having them pick them up. To say that Tyler had been mesmerized by her was an understatement and Caroline honestly felt a little bad about the fact that she didn’t return his feelings. On the other hand, he had known that she had only agreed to come with him as a friend, so she didn’t have anything to feel guilty about. She couldn’t force herself to like him as more than a friend, no matter how good looking or nice he was.

They had danced all night, smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves. Caroline carried her phone with herself, but Tyler had brought his camera so he took a good amount of pictures of their little gang. He asked Caroline and Rebekah to pose for a few pictures specifically, which they happily did. She looked the photographs over with Tyler and asked him to send them to her as soon as he came home. He agreed and then proceeded to take a couple of candids of the rest of the crowd.

As the evening came to an end, Caroline’s feet ached. Tyler helped her put on her thick coat as they decided to leave the party and together, they walked to the Mystic Grill. They stayed there for a while, all of them. Elena left first, sharing that she had to get up early tomorrow morning to go shopping with her brother because they still hadn’t gotten a gift for their aunt Jenna. Matt and Tyler left too, offering them a ride home, but Caroline declined. Rebekah had promised her a ride. When Matt kissed Rebekah goodbye, Tyler also leaned down and gently kissed Caroline’s cheek. She felt a bit warmer at the gesture, but she didn’t want to think too much about it. Friends kissed each other’s cheeks sometimes, right? She and Rebekah did it all the time.

When Rebekah finally drove her home, they gave Bonnie a ride too. After saying her goodnight to Rebekah, Caroline walked up to her house and found herself sitting on the porch swing. Taking out her phone, she looked at the battery. She had about thirty percent left and it was already late…

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[02:02 AM]_ **

_ ‘Are you up?’ _

 

She sent the message, biting her lip as she stared at the screen, waiting for a reply. It didn’t take long for her to regret her decision. Klaus wasn’t replying and she couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted her to believe that he might be waiting for her to text him.

“Why am I being so stupid?” Caroline groaned to herself, putting her clutch next to her as she put a hand to her forehead. She had to get a grip on herself and especially when it came to these feelings she had for Klaus. It was starting to get ridiculous-

_ Riiing! Riiing! Riiing! _

Caroline jumped when her phone started ringing. She saw the caller-ID and her pulse spiked, fingers trembling as she quickly answered the call.

_ “Hello, Caroline,” _ Klaus said, making her shiver.

No, no. It was the December  _ cold  _ that was making her shiver. It had absolutely nothing to do with his husky, I-probably-just-smoked-a-pack-of-cigarettes-before-I-called-you-voice. Yeah, it definitely wasn’t the lazy sexiness in his tone that made her insides twist.

“Klaus! Hi,” she replied. “I, uh… Sorry if I woke you.”

_ “You didn’t wake me, love,”  _ Klaus chuckled.  _ “I had trouble sleeping, so I was up when I got your text.” _

“Oh,” Caroline breathed out, trying to sound neutral. However, she was a little concerned about him not being able to sleep. Still, she wasn’t going to baby him. He was an adult and could deal with his own insomnia however he wanted to.

_ “Is there a reason that you’re sending me messages this late, sweetheart?”  _ Klaus wondered and she could hear the concern his voice this time.  _ “How was your evening at the ball?” _

“That’s actually why I’m calling,” Caroline said. “I just got home and… I wanted to call you to tell you how it went.” She hadn’t realized it until she said it, but it was the truth. The happiness that she had felt tonight, the way that everything had somehow worked out perfectly for her despite her struggles to find a dress for herself… The moment she had sat down on her porch swing, she had wanted to call Klaus and tell him about everything. She wasn’t sure she was ready to question what exactly that meant for the development of her crush on the guy, but texting him had become almost instinctual for her.

_ “Well then, love, feel free to share,”  _ Klaus replied. Caroline could almost see him in front of herself. She imagined him laying down on his bed, or leaning back in his seat to get more comfortable.

He didn’t seem to mind listening to her as she retold the events of the night. Klaus paid attention, chuckling at the appropriate times, but inserting few comments. From what Caroline could tell, he seemed content to just listen.

“Why aren’t you saying anything, Klaus?” she questioned after a while. “I don’t have much battery left, so if you want to say something before my phone dies on me, you should do so now.”

_ “Or forever hold my peace,”  _ Klaus said, sounding almost breathless. Caroline frowned to herself, feeling as if she was missing something important.  _ “I don’t mind listening to you, Caroline. I enjoy the sound of your voice. It…calms me.” _

Caroline giggled, “Is that your way of telling me that I’m making you sleepy?”

_ “No,” _ Klaus chuckled. _ “I meant exactly what I told you. I don’t make it a habit of saying things that I won’t stand behind.”  _

Caroline listened to his words, taking them in. “Klaus,” she sighed, wondering whether she had drunk more than she had thought tonight because she was close to voicing some of her thoughts.

_ “Yes, Caroline?” _

She paused for a moment, contemplating her options again. “I like hearing you laugh,” she finally admitted. Through the line, a ruffling sound was heard, as if Klaus had started to move around in his room. She wondered what he was doing. “You don’t do that very often, so when you do, it’s nice to hear,” Caroline continued. “Don’t over think it,” she repeated the words he had texted to her earlier today.

_ “Caroline,”  _ Klaus said, making her name sound like something precious… Or maybe that was just in her own head?

“Yes, Klaus?” Caroline asked, voice low.

_ “I think you have the ability to make me laugh more than I normally do,”  _ he said, sounding almost embarrassed to admit it to her. She wanted to know more, ask more questions and answers. Somehow, it seemed as if the two of them were always more open and honest with one another during their late night conversations. There was something about the feeling of having the night as protection. No one else was awake in their close proximity and they could speak freely. She loved those moments the most, because for a short while, it felt as if it was just the two of them.

“I do?” Caroline questioned, making Klaus hum in confirmation.

_ “I’ll be back in Mystic Falls for Christmas. Perhaps we’ll see each other then and we can test my theory,”  _ he suggested.

For a moment, Caroline wanted to jump at the chance to meet him again, but then she remembered her plans. “I won’t be here,” she said regretfully. “My mom is working over Christmas, so I’m visiting my dad in California.”

_ “Some other time then?”  _ Klaus said and Caroline nodded before remembering that he couldn’t actually see her.

“Yes,” she replied. “Considering that my best friend is your sister and that I spend most of my time over at your family’s mansion, we’ll most likely end up seeing one another at some point.”

_ “Caroline,”  _ Klaus said and this time, she didn’t miss the exasperation in his voice.  _ “I would like to-” _

The line cut off suddenly and Caroline felt herself holding her breath. She looked at her phone, the screen turning pitch black before her eyes. The battery died and she wanted to die on the inside. What had he been about to tell her? What would he like to do? The questions whirled around inside of her head and she stood from the porch swing, now feeling the coldness of the night. It wouldn’t surprise her if she caught a cold.

Unlocking her door, she headed up to her room. Immediately, she connected her phone to her charger while she made herself ready for bed. She hung the beautiful dress up in her closet and tugged on an oversized t-shirt. Quickly, she brushed her teeth and then grabbed her phone again, turning it on. She unlocked it, seeing that she had a couple of messages from Tyler who had attached some pictures he had taken of her. Scanning over them quickly, she smiled when she found a candid shot of her laughing at something that Bonnie had said. Everything about her radiated happiness in the picture, and Tyler had managed to capture the moment perfectly. She saved the picture and then sent a text message to Klaus, hoping he hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:32 AM]_ **

_ ‘Sorry! Phone died. Did you want to say something?’ _

 

The reply came a minute later, which made her wonder whether he had been hesitant or not to write to her.

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:33 AM]_ **

_ ‘No worries, love. You should get some sleep. I’ll tell you another time.’ _

 

Caroline groaned to herself. She knew better than to press the issue. At some point she was sure that whatever Klaus had wanted to say to her would come up again. She could be patient… Maybe.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:34 AM]_ **

_ ‘Okay. I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow, or some other time… Try to get some sleep, okay? You need to rest too.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:34 AM]_ **

_ ‘Your concern for me is charming. Sleep well, Caroline.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:34 AM]_ **

_ ‘Not so much concern as it is making sure you don’t croak before you can tell me all your deepest darkest secrets. Goodnight, Klaus.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:35 AM]_ **

_ ‘Didn’t know you wanted to learn everything about me, sweetheart. It’s flattering.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:35 AM]_ **

_ ‘Shut up, Klaus. Go to bed.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:36 AM]_ **

_ ‘By the way, here’s that picture you asked for.’ _

 

She sent him the picture that Tyler had taken of her, hoping deep down that he would like it. The reply came immediately:

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:36 AM]_ **

_ ‘Your beauty is ethereal.’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:37 AM]_ **

_ ‘I do, however, detest the fact that it seems as if the Lockwood boy took this picture of you.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:37 AM]_ **

_ ‘God, Klaus, take a breath… Bring a camera next time and try to get a better picture then, if you’re so jealous. (Although, thank you for the compliment.)’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:38 AM]_ **

_ ‘All right, next time. I’ll prove that I can take a better picture. Now, why don’t you rest? I’m sure your feet hurt. (I’m only speaking the truth.)’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:39 AM]_ **

_ ‘You’re right. They do hurt. You should go to bed too. (Technically: writing.)’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:39 AM]_ **

_ ‘Fine. Sweet dreams, Caroline. (If you want to get technical: typing.)’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:40 AM]_ **

_ ‘Goodnight, Klaus. (Shut up, Klaus.)’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:41 AM]_ **

_ ‘I have one more question though.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:41 AM]_ **

_ ‘What?’ _

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:42 AM]_ **

_ ‘What did you tell your friends about the dress?’ _

 

Caroline paused, blinking a few times. Her jaw was aching, she realized and it wasn’t until now that she noticed that she had been smiling throughout the text exchange.

 

**_KLAUS_ **

**_[03:43 AM]_ **

_ ‘Well?’ _

 

Another minute passed.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[03:44 AM]_ **

_ ‘I told them that Santa Klaus came early.’ _

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments are golden! xx


	5. December 29, 2010

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline returns from California, where she was visiting her father, but is surprised to see who is picking her up at the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to post this. I've been thinking about going down an angsty road with this story, but I kind of like the fluff of it and will most likely keep the angst to a minimum. Hopefully, you'll like this chapter! Enjoy! :)

**_Part V - December 29, 2010_ **

 

Caroline let out a huff of frustration as she pulled her suitcase off the baggage carousel. The moving belt made her stumble and silently she cursed herself for packing so much for a one-week trip to California. She nearly fell over the suitcase when she finally managed to pull it off the belt and she glanced around to make sure that no one had seen her. There was a kid a couple of yards away who was laughing, but Caroline decided to pretend that it didn’t have anything to do with her.

She ran her fingers through her hair and then pulled on her hat to protect herself from the cold. It was much colder in Virginia than it was in California, that’s for sure. Caroline picked up her phone and sent her mother a text message quickly to inform her that she was at the airport. Then, she sent one to Rebekah to check if she was waiting outside as she had promised she would.

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[11:28 PM]:_ **

_ ‘Hey, Bekah! Plane just landed. I know it’s late, but I really hope you’re out there because I’m pretty sure that since the delays didn’t kill me, the cold might!’ _

 

Caroline stood in line with the other people, trying not to think too much about all the time that had passed. Her plane had been delayed several hours due to the unpredictable weather. She was exhausted, cold and a hundred percent ready to just go to bed. Her mother was working, as usual, which was why Rebekah had promised to come and pick her up. They hadn’t seen one another for over a week and Caroline missed her best friend. She was more than ready to catch up on everything that she had missed in Mystic Falls while she had been visiting her father and his husband. 

Caroline’s phone chimed and she glanced down at the screen, dread filling her with every word that she read.

 

**_REBEKAH_ **

**_[11:31 PM]:_ **

_ ‘I am SO SORRY, Care! I can’t pick you up but I couldn’t get a hold of you! I had an accident earlier today and sprained my ankle badly.’ _

 

**_CAROLINE_ **

**_[11:32 PM]:_ **

_ ‘Oh no! What happened?!’ _

 

**_REBEKAH_ **

**_[11:32 PM]_ **

_ ‘I’ll tell you everything when you get home… I’ve arranged for someone else to pick you up.’ _

 

Caroline found herself frowning again. The worry she felt for her best friend faded a little as her confusion grew. If her mother was working and Rebekah was in the hospital, who was picking her up? She knew that Bonnie and Elena were both away visiting family over the holidays. To be honest, she wasn’t really close with anyone else in town, except for maybe Matt and Tyler. She knew for certain though that Matt would want to stay by his girlfriend’s side if she was hurt and Caroline hoped that Rebekah had enough sense not to send Tyler to come and get her. First of all, she didn’t want to lead him on because after the Winter Ball, she had made sure to tell him she only saw him as a friend. Secondly, Mystic Falls was a small town and after going with Tyler to the ball, she knew that people had gotten talking about how cute they looked as a couple. She didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea and she was sure that having Tyler pick her up at the airport this late would send some major boyfriend-girlfriend vibes to some people in town.

Her phone sounded again, forcing her out of her thoughts. Caroline looked down to see the new message from Rebekah.

 

**_REBEKAH_ **

**_[11:33 PM]:_ **

_ ‘Just trust me, okay? And get back to me once you get to Mystic Falls. The roads are slippery tonight.’ _

 

Caroline headed toward the exit, contemplating whether or not she should text Rebekah back to demand answers. She stepped out in the cold, still staring down at her phone as she pulled her suitcase along. When the wheels got stuck in a pile of snow, she quickly pocketed her phone and then proceeded to pull with both hands.

“May I help you with that, Ms. Forbes?”

Caroline startled, jumping and embarrassingly enough, nearly slipping on a small patch of ice. She turned around, hair whirling in the frosty wind as her eyes widened, because  _ she knew that voice. _ A flash went off and Caroline blinked a few times, surprised to see Klaus standing in front of her with a camera in his hands. He was wearing a black coat and there was a thick red scarf wrapped around his neck, shielding him from the biting cold. He wore fingerless gloves and Caroline could see that the tips of his fingers were a bit red, just like his nose. Whatever he wore underneath the coat was covered, but she could tell that he was wearing a pair of dark faded jeans and boots. They looked a lot more practical than the high-heeled boots that she was wearing. There was no hat on his head and Caroline couldn’t help but appreciate the sight of his unruly hair. For a moment, she almost wished she could run her fingers through it. Maybe even tug on it a little as she pulled him down to her height and kissed him senseless.

But she couldn’t.

“Klaus!” Caroline said, eyes wide. She couldn’t help the smile that spread over her face. Another flash went off and Caroline looked down at Klaus’ camera. “What are you doing?” she asked, laughter bubbling up inside her throat.

“I do believe I remember making a promise to take a better picture of you the next time I saw you,” Klaus said, his own smile wide and a little boyish, to be honest.

“I don’t think you ever specifically promised me that,” Caroline said. “I just remember you mentioning that you could take a better picture than Tyler did at the ball.”

Klaus shot her a look at the mention of Tyler’s name and something inside of Caroline’s gut twisted. There was something hidden in Klaus’ eyes and she wished that she could just figure out what it was. The problem was that as soon as it appeared, it went away, leaving Caroline to just wonder.

“Semantics, love,” Klaus shrugged, stepping over to her. His camera now hung around his neck as he reached for her suitcase. He stopped right in front of her, staring down at her with those blue eyes that made Caroline’s entire body burn with emotions. God, she really needed to get over herself and this crush on him.

“What are you doing here, Klaus?” Caroline asked, ignoring the way that his closeness made her want to close the distance between them even more.

“My dear sister slipped down the stairs when she got tangled up in tinsel while chasing after Kol,” Klaus said evenly. “She mentioned that she had promised to pick you up and after seeing the distress on her face, I decided to sacrifice my time to come get you myself.”

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, but Klaus didn’t back down. “You missed me, didn’t you?” The teasing quip fell from her lips before she could stop it. Klaus’ eyes seemed to shine at that though, so she was certain that he wasn’t offended.

“As much as you’ve surely missed me, love,” Klaus replied.

_ Oh, Klaus. If you only knew. _

Before Caroline could respond though, Klaus motioned with his head toward the parking lot. “We should get going. I left the car running, but with the way the roads have frozen over, we’ll be lucky to get back to Mystic Falls by early morning.”

Caroline followed after Klaus to his car, hating how easily he pulled her heavy suitcase along. He put it in the trunk and Caroline got into the front passenger seat before she put the seatbelt on. Warmth flooded her and she was grateful that Klaus had gone ahead and left the car on. The seat was warm too and Caroline sank into it, closing her eyes momentarily to enjoy the heat that seeped into her body.

“You good to go, love?” Klaus asked.

“Yeah,” Caroline nodded, the smile never falling from her face.

***

While Klaus drove them slowly toward Mystic Falls, Caroline told him a bit about her time in California. At first she had been a bit hesitant to share, not wanting to be annoying, but Klaus insisted she share in order to make the time pass. She wondered whether he’d asked her to speak just so that things wouldn’t get awkward between them, but honestly, Caroline couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so comfortable with anyone who wasn’t Rebekah.

“...and then my dad was so distracted by the neighbors dog barking at the reindeer decorations in the garden, that he  _ literally  _ dropped the ham in the middle of the kitchen!” Caroline laughed, remembering the moment fondly. Of course, at the time she had freaked out because she had wanted Christmas to be absolutely perfect, but now, she could laugh about it. She was still giggling when she turned around to look at Klaus and noticed that he too was smiling.

“What?” she asked, her hand reaching over to nudge lightly at his shoulder. “Don’t you like my stories of epic Christmas fails?”

“Quite the contrary, dear,” he said. “I enjoy your company immensely and hearing you talk… It’s…  _ nice. _ ”

“‘Nice’?” Caroline repeated with a scoff before laughing again. She could feel her cheeks heating up. She tried not to think too much about the terms of endearment.

“More than nice,” Klaus smiled. “You cannot fathom how much joy your stories bring me. You have a very calming voice.”

“Well, as long as I’m not making you sleepy,” Caroline said, sounding sheepish.

“Hm… I’m not tired, but I can hardly see from the snow at the moment. Would you mind if we stopped by a diner I saw on the way up?” he wondered.

“I could use a cup of coffee,” Caroline agreed, butterflies acting up inside her belly.

A few minutes later, Klaus pulled up by a small diner that Caroline had never really noticed before. She wrapped her jacket around herself tightly and as they walked toward the door, Klaus’ hand somehow found her lower back, leading her inside. There was an older woman working, but she smiled at Klaus and Caroline as they entered the diner, not looking tired at all despite the fact that it was past midnight.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, sweethearts,” she said, carrying some dishes into another room. Caroline noted that besides herself and Klaus, there was only a trucker in the corner of the room, looking half-asleep and two young girls, probably around Caroline’s age, in a booth. Together with Klaus, she made her way to one of the other booths and sat down. Klaus sat down in front of her and she rubbed her palms together, trying to warm her frozen fingers. She noted that the girls whispered amongst themselves and then started giggling, all while not-so-subtly staring toward Klaus. Much to her annoyance, Caroline realized that they must find him attractive.

The woman who worked at the diner came over and they both ordered a cup of coffee. Caroline wasn’t sure that she wanted something sweet to go with the drink, but Klaus ordered a piece of pie.

At first, they didn’t really talk much. Both of them were too busy trying to warm up from the cold. Caroline glanced toward the girls from time to time, noticing that they were still whispering while watching Klaus and she couldn’t help but grit her teeth and glare down at the table.

“Here you go, dears,” the older woman said, putting the coffee on the table and a slice of pie in front of Klaus. “I sure hope your girl isn’t on one of them diets, young man. You better be taking care of her. Some sugar isn’t all bad, you know.”

Caroline looked up sharply when the woman had mistaken her for being Klaus’ ‘girl’. She wasn’t  _ his  _ girl; she wasn’t really his anything. But then again, that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to be.

She looked at Klaus, almost expectantly. Wasn’t he going to correct the woman? There wasn’t even a blush on his face as he smirked, looked at the lade and then turned back to Caroline. “I’ll be sure to feed her some of my pie,” he said and winked.

The older woman seemed pleased and smiled at him. “Good, son,” she said, before telling them to enjoy. Caroline didn’t say much, but Klaus thanked the woman and then took a sip from his mug. He picked up his fork and turned the pie this way and that, as if inspecting it for a moment before picking up a bite of it. Caroline wasn’t really sure what to do with herself so she just wrapped her fingers around the mug and frowned at him.

“Something on your mind, love?” he asked her. He put the fork in his mouth and chewed the pie.

Caroline didn’t realize at first that she was looking at his mouth, but when she did, she knew her cheeks were red. Fortunately, she could blame the cold for that if he pointed it out.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” she asked, her words coming out in a whispered hiss. She knew very well that the annoyance was evident in her tone. 

“Does what bother me?” Klaus wondered, looking perplexed.

Caroline motioned not-so-subtly toward the girls who were sighing and giggling, still staring at Klaus, who seemed to be oblivious. He looked in the direction that she had motioned and Caroline watched as a smile blossomed on his face before he turned back to face her.

“Jealous, love?” he questioned, clearly teasing her.

“No, but they’re looking at you as if you’re a piece of man-meat and nothing else,” Caroline huffed. She leaned back in her seat and moved to cross her arms, but Klaus reached out and took one of her hands in his. She paused.

“They can look at me any way they want, Caroline,” he said. “At the moment, you have my undivided attention, and nothing, not even some giggling girls, is going to change that.”

She wasn’t sure what she should say, so she just nodded and pulled her hand out of his, feeling as if his touch alone was burning her skin. “Good,” she said, wondering if she managed to hide her joy at his words. Probably not since Klaus only seemed to smile wider.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Klaus started, “if you’ll be watching the fireworks in town this year?” He seemed almost hesitant in his way of asking, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that had just been holding hers.

“I think so, yes,” Caroline answered. “I mean, Rebekah and I are always there, so I don’t see why we wouldn’t be this year too.”

She just  _ had  _ to bring up her best friend. Somehow, she needed to get herself under control when it came to this man and mentioning his younger sister was like being doused in cold water. It reminded her of the betrayal that she was currently committing toward her best friend, who trusted her not to have any feelings toward her brother.

“I’ll be there too this year,” Klaus informed her, once again looking sheepish. He swallowed and she noted the way that his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “I hope I’ll at least get a glimpse of you there.”

It was a sweet confession, Caroline thought. Was it a confession, though? Was he telling her that he wanted to see her during the New Years party in town? Did this mean that he felt something more between the two of them too?

“I hope so too,” Caroline said, smiling over the edge of her cup at him. They took a sip from their respective mugs and for the rest of their time at the diner, Caroline didn’t look twice at the giggling girls.

***

It was so,  _ so  _ late. Caroline wasn’t even bothering to look at the time anymore because she knew that she and Klaus had been delayed at the diner. She’d texted her mother and Rebekah, and she had told them not to worry because she and Klaus were driving slowly so they wouldn’t get into an accident due to the slippery roads.

Her mind was heading into dangerous territories, though, because of what had happened shortly after they had pulled out from the diner. She’d had such a great time with Klaus. He had shared stories from his time in New York and given her a couple of suggestions at which schools she could apply to besides Whitmore. He made it very clear to her that if she were to come to New York, he’d be there to help her get settled and the offer was really sweet. However, despite Klaus hinting at wanting her to come to New York, the thing that she hadn’t been able to get out of her head was when they had gotten back to the car.

Klaus had turned on the heater, but Caroline had been shaking from the cold. She’d put her hands up against the warmth, trying to stop her mind from traveling into the depths of what she was feeling for the man beside her, when Klaus had shocked the living hell out of her.

She had been startled when Klaus had spoken after ten minutes of silence as he drove out on the main road. “Are you still cold?” he asked and she noted that there was real concern in his voice.

“Eh, no?” Caroline stuttered. “I just like the heat, I think.”

Klaus didn’t speak, but he was very gentle when he reached over with his hand and touched the back of hers with his fingertips. Goosebumps rose all over Caroline and she swallowed thickly, not daring to look at him in case it would give her away. Ever so lightly, Klaus moved his fingers so that they could slip through hers, intertwining their hands. He rested their hands between their seats, staring straight ahead at the road without saying another word and Caroline had to bite her lip in order to stop herself from speaking. She knew that she needed to stop overthinking things, but  _ what the hell was he doing? _ What did this mean? He wasn’t even saying anything. He had just casually intertwined their fingers, as if they were lovers or something.

Still, Caroline reached over with her other hand and placed it over their connected hands. She tried desperately to tell herself that it was only because of the heat that Klaus somehow seemed to radiate. The man next to her was insufferable, sometimes, but she couldn’t for the life of her stop whatever it was that continued to happen to her heart whenever he looked at her.

When they finally reached Mystic Falls, Caroline felt some kind of dread pass over her. She knew that as soon as she left the car, she would have to force herself to forget about all the nice moments she’d had with Klaus during this small trip. She couldn’t do that to her best friend and she wasn’t going to lose Rebekah, no matter how good Klaus made her feel.

Klaus pulled up outside of Caroline’s house and helped her carry the suitcase up to her porch. When she’d finally gotten it inside the house, she stepped back out on the porch to thank Klaus for coming to pick her up at the airport. He looked at her in that curious way of his and Caroline felt as if her heart might beat straight out of her chest.

“Well, thank you for tonight,” she said, her voice pitched a little higher than normal. She blushed and Klaus smiled.

“You’re very welcome, Caroline,” he said with a curt nod.

Caroline pressed her lips together and nodded back. “I’ll text Rebekah that I made it home safely, but I’d appreciate if you could tell her too, in case she’s awake.”

“Of course.”

“Okay then,” Caroline said. “Good night, Klaus.”

She turned around when suddenly she stopped. There was a small, barely noticeable tug of her hand and she turned her head back, looking down and realizing that they were still holding hands.

“Caroline.” Klaus said her name in a way that she had never heard anyone use it before. It was said in a cross between exasperation and a sigh, a murmur and something more. She lifted her head slowly and met his gaze. He was looking at her and she was staring at him, her heart quickened in her chest and she moved without thinking.

Her other hand, the one that wasn’t tangled with his, rose up and somehow, the tips of her fingers brushed over lips, that parted at her touch. His hot breath warmed her to her core, it seemed and when he took another step forward, an almost choked “Caroline,” falling from his mouth, she was shaken out of her haze.

Her vision focused on where her thumb was brushing gently over his lower lip and she realized just how close together they were standing. Her toes were touching his and their faces were close enough that she could smell the pie on his breath.

_ God, she wanted to taste him. _

But instead of giving into her deepest desire, Caroline cleared her throat and took a step back, releasing his hand and looking away. She was embarrassed by her reaction to him, but it wasn’t as if she could go back in time and change the fact that she had been close to rubbing up against her best friend’s big brother like a cat. She most likely would have purred too, considering how close she’d been to just losing control.

“Good night,” she said and this time, her voice was hoarse. She turned her back to him and walked into the house.

“Good night, Caroline,” was all she heard before she closed the door and leaned back against it. She put her hand to her forehead and then her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and counted backwards from twenty. Before she could reach fifteen, she jumped when her phone went off. It was a text message from Rebekah.

 

**_REBEKAH_ **

**_[03:56 AM]:_ **

_ ‘Hey! Did you make it home all right?’ _

 

Caroline hesitated, not really knowing what to write, but paused once another message came in.

 

**_REBEKAH_ **

**_[03:56 AM]:_ **

_ ‘I hope my brother treated you right. I know how he can be sometimes.’ _

 

_ Oh, Rebekah,  _ Caroline thought, thinking back at all the sweet things that Klaus had done for her while they had been on the road. She still couldn’t get the softness of his lips out of her head and her fingers were still tingling from his touch.

_ You have no idea. _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments feed my muse! Until next time! xx

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are golden and I would very much appreciate to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! :) xx


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